Former director of the Campbell County Public Library, Wyoming, Terri Lesley, has been awarded $700,000 after being fired from her role for refusing to remove LGBTQ+ books from the shelves.
In 2023, after nearly three decades working within the library system, the Campbell County library board voted to dismiss Lesley after she refused to remove books containing LGBTQ+ themes, and material that provides information on sexual health. This dismissal was a result of a 2022 move which saw the county’s library board leave the American Library Association, which helps support libraries in the U.S., as well as the Wyoming Library Association.
Shortly following that decision, it pledged to ban LGBTQ+ themed books including This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson, How Do You Make a Baby by Anna Fiske, Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, and Sex is a Funny Word by Corey Silverberg. The ban also covered material related to sexual health such as Dating and Sex: A Guide for the 21st Century Teen Boy by Andrew P Smiler.
Last spring, Terri Lesley sued the county for unfair dismissal, and reached a settlement with county officials Wednesday (8th October). The settlement has resulted in a pay-out of $700,000.
“I do feel vindicated. It’s been a rough road, but I will never regret standing up for the First Amendment,” Lesley said.
Lesley’s attorney, Iris Halpern added: “We hope at least that it sends a message to other library districts, other states, other counties, that the First Amendment is alive and strong and that our values against discrimination also remain alive and strong.
“These are public entities, they’re government officials, they need to keep in mind their constitutional obligations.”
While Terri Lesley has agreed to drop her lawsuit against the county, a separate lawsuit she filed against the three individuals who challenged the books in the library is still ongoing.
