Update: At 4:58 p.m., Campbell County staff announced updates to the agenda. The “Potential Action Item” under “Regular Business” was changed to “Executive Director.”
GILLETTE, Wyo. — The Campbell County Public Library’s board will have a special meeting at 3 p.m. July 28 to discuss a personnel matter.
The chairman of the Campbell County Public Library Board, who’s now Charles Butler, has called for a special meeting, Campbell County staff said. It will take place in the Wyoming Room at the Campbell County Public Library, 2101 S. 4-J Road, Gillette. There will be no public comment.
Sage Bear, who was chair of the board before a scheduled vote that day, said at the board meeting July 24 that if Executive Director Terri Lesley saw herself as personally responsible and in violation of the First Amendment for carrying out the board’s recently revised collection development policy, she should find another job.
Bear said that the staff are legally covered under the library and aren’t personally responsible.
“I feel like we are personally responsible. We’re the ones doing it. We’re the ones physically doing it,” Lesley said. “That’s how I see it.”
“Well, if that’s the way you feel, I feel like you should find another job,” Bear said.
“That’s a decision of the board, if that’s how you feel about it,” Lesley said. “I’m trying to do the best thing that we can. You have a process here. You have a chance to make these decisions. And now you want me to do it instead, and I’m worried about getting sued on First Amendment issues.”
Bear said that while the library will get sued, Lesley won’t.
Lesley said she will.
Bear said that library staff, who know many books’ content, can determine what’s sexually explicit.
