Lifelong swim instructor Libby Souder has partnered with the Institute for Justice (IJ) to challenge the city of Columbia’s ban on backyard swim lessons, filing a lawsuit to defend her constitutional right to earn a living and use her property productively.
In 2018, Libby followed every rule when she applied for a home occupation business license to teach swimming lessons in her backyard pool. The city approved her license, including a zoning review, and Libby even installed a circular driveway to prevent on-street parking. For six years, she renewed her license on time without a single complaint.
But in 2024, that changed. After a prospective neighbor raised concerns, the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals reinterpreted its rules. It determined the requirement for home businesses to be “fully enclosed” meant indoors, disqualifying Libby’s fenced-in pool. That decision forced Libby to halt her lessons and now threatens the future of her small business. Meanwhile, other South Carolina cities such as Mount Pleasant have embraced backyard swim lessons without restrictions…