Former Librarian Launches Legal Battle Against Texas County Alleging Unjust Termination Over Book Controversy and Censorship Surge
In a gripping saga that underscores the intersection of literature, censorship, and professional autonomy, Suzette Baker, a Texas native and former head librarian at Kingsland Public Library in Llano County, has initiated legal proceedings against the county. Baker claims she was wrongfully terminated after refusing to comply with requests to remove books addressing race and LGBTQ+ experiences, as outlined in a complaint obtained by the Austin American-Statesman, a member of the USA TODAY Network.
Baker’s legal action encompasses the county, the county Commissioners Court, County Judge Ron Cunningham, and several community activists who were appointed to the Library Advisory Board during a contentious period of advocating for book removals. The complaint contends that Baker’s dismissal amounts to discrimination against minority groups through the imposition of book bans, effectively suppressing her First Amendment rights, and those of the library’s patrons. Seeking restitution, the complaint demands back pay, attorney’s fees, and an injunction to curb discriminatory practices.
A seasoned librarian with over a decade of experience, Baker, 57, described her profession as a life calling and cherished her role at the Kingsland Public Library. Following her termination, she now works as a cashier at a local hardware store to make ends meet. In a poignant reflection on the value of literature, Baker emphasized that reading “teaches you empathy. It teaches you how to be a human.”
The lawsuit sheds light on the broader implications of escalating censorship of literature nationwide, particularly in rural communities such as Llano County. This unfolding legal drama unfolds against the backdrop of a federal court’s 2023 order directing the county to reinstate titles removed from its shelves, revealing an ongoing struggle over children’s access to books dealing with sensitive topics like race and LGBTQ+ issues.
Tensions in Llano County ignited in the summer of 2021 when a group of community activists demanded the removal of specific titles from the children’s and teens’ sections. The conflict deepened in November 2021 when community member Bonnie Wallace provided a spreadsheet of about 60 books, urging the removal of content depicting sexual activity or questionable nudity. Library Director Amber Milum directed Baker to comply, but she staunchly refused.
The activists persisted in their efforts, targeting books discussing racial or LGBTQ+ topics, including children’s titles like “Gender Queer” and “I Broke My Butt” and adult nonfiction works such as “They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group” and “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.”
In response to the mounting pressure, the Commissioners Court, led by Cunningham and Commissioner Jerry Don Moss, dissolved the library’s advisory board in January 2022, appointing 12 new members aligned with the community group advocating for book removals, according to the lawsuit. This move was accompanied by directives prohibiting librarians from attending public meetings, a restriction Baker claims infringes on her First Amendment rights.
March 2022 witnessed a symbolic act of resistance by Baker, who erected a display featuring historically banned books like “How to be an Anti-Racist,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and “Between the World and Me,” alongside selections from the activists’ spreadsheet. A marquee in front of the library declared, “We put the ‘lit’ in literature,” a double entendre referencing both the slang word for fun and the historical burning of books.
Following this display, Milum instructed Baker to remove the books from the display. When she refused, Baker’s employment was terminated in March 2022, citing reasons such as insubordination, failure to follow instructions, and allowing personal opinions to interfere with job duties.
Despite repeated attempts to obtain comments, Milum and Cunningham have not responded to requests from the Statesman.
In a surprising twist, Moss, a named defendant in the lawsuit, asserts that the Commissioners Court neither determines librarian employment nor votes on book removals. He claims ignorance of Baker’s termination until learning about it on Facebook, distancing the court from involvement in the decision-making process.
The lawsuit alleges that Milum violated library system weeding policies by removing books based on content, a process unrelated to the Commissioners Court. In April 2023, a judge for the Western District of Texas ruled in favor of residents opposing censorship, issuing a preliminary injunction ordering the county to replace numerous books. The county has appealed the ruling to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, prolonging the legal battle.
In the aftermath of the court order, activists within the pro-removal group demanded the closure of libraries to prevent children from accessing what they termed “pornographic filth.” Despite the tumultuous events, the libraries have remained open, but Baker laments the decline in accessibility. The county has not hired a new librarian to replace her, and operational staff has been reduced, leading to the closure of libraries on weekends.
The lawsuit contends that the county has frozen book purchases since 2021 and blocked access to over 17,000 digital titles. These allegations underscore a broader national trend of increasing book bans and challenges in public libraries and schools. Advocates argue that such bans represent a threat to constitutional rights and the free flow of information, calling for a healthy democracy that encourages open dialogue and diverse perspectives.
Legal expert Iris Halpern, who successfully represented a Colorado librarian in a similar wrongful termination suit, condemns Llano County’s approach as dangerously disregarding residents’ access to information. Halpern asserts, “This is incredibly dangerous because it seems the larger agenda here is to just deprive people of information, period.”
Recent years have seen educators and librarians thrust into the spotlight over book censorship disputes. In 2023, some faced attacks or threats for defending access to controversial materials. At Chapin High School in South Carolina, a teacher allegedly made students feel “ashamed to be Caucasian” by assigning Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “Between the World and Me.” The book was subsequently removed from the syllabus. In Hamshire-Fannett Independent School District in Texas, a teacher was removed from an eighth-grade classroom for allowing students to read an adaptation of “The Diary of Anne Frank” that included sexual content, deemed unauthorized by the district.