A Wyoming county will pay $700,000 to a former library director to settle a lawsuit after a furor over books with LGBTQ+ and sexual themes. Campbell County agreed to the payout for Terri Lesley, who claims she was fired because she refused to remove certain books deemed offensive by members of the community, reports the Cowboy State Daily. Lesley's suit, filed in April, accused county commissioners and library board members of employment discrimination. Under the settlement, county officials admit no wrongdoing, but the payment means Lesley will drop her case.
"I do feel vindicated. It's been a rough road, but I will never regret standing up for the First Amendment," Lesley tells the AP. Her attorney, Iris Halpern, says the settlement should remind officials that libraries serve the entire community, not just majority views. The AP describes Campbell County as one of the most conservative areas in a conservative state.
The controversy began in 2021 when the library highlighted LGBTQ+ materials for Pride Month, prompting backlash from some commissioners and community members. Critics accused Lesley of promoting inappropriate materials, citing books like How Do You Make a Baby, This Book Is Gay, and Sex Is a Funny Word. Lesley resisted calls to move or remove such books, saying it would amount to censorship.
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Lesley, who worked in the county library system for nearly three decades and served as director for 11 years, was dismissed in July 2023. Her ouster followed mounting pressure from a new board aligned with critics of LGBTQ+ content. Lesley is pursuing a separate lawsuit against a local family in Gillette who accused her of distributing obscenity, a claim a special prosecutor ultimately dismissed.