Once in a while, the good guys DO win!

[ShazzieB]

Campbell County Commission and library board settle with former library director for $700K

GILLETTE — A little more than two years after Terri Lesley, former director of the Campbell County Public Library, filed a complaint against the Campbell County Commission and the Campbell County Public Library Board for workplace discrimination, the parties have reached an agreement.

*snip*

Lesley was fired from her position as library director on July 28, 2023, a little more than two years after she and library staff were criticized by some residents and elected officials for allowing sexual education and LGBTQ books in the children’s and teen sections.

*snip*

Lesley sued Campbell County, the Campbell County Commission and the Campbell County Public Library Board, as well as former commissioners Del Shelstad and Colleen Faber, current library board members Sage Bear, Charles Butler and Chelsie Collier and former library board member Darcie Lyon in their individual capacities.

Her complaint alleged that the commissioners and library board members acted with “malice or reckless disregard” for her federally protected rights, and “their actions not only devastated Ms. Lesley professionally and personally, but also undermined the very mission of (the library) and inflicted harm on the broader community. For this, they must be held responsible.”

*snip*

Lesley accused the commissioners and library board of trying to shape the library’s collection of books “in a way that endorsed or favored one denomination of Christianity over other Christian denominations, other religious beliefs, and/or over non-religious beliefs.”

Source: https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/campbell-county-commission-and-library-board-settle-with-former-library-director-for-700k/article_4da913ff-f47c-4fb1-86ca-b47953d00188.html

If anyone is thinking that $700,000 doesn't seem like much as a penalty for the misdeeds the Campbell County Commission and the Campbell County Public Library Board, I tend to agree. I suspect that they knew they were likely to lose and be on the hook for a lot more than that and made an offer to get the whole thing over with. Accepting the settlement instead of taking the case to court was Terri Lesley's choice, and from what I can tell, she regards it as a victory. That's good enough for me.

[Sneederbunk]

1. And the Commission/Board can say welcome to revised liability insurance premiums.

Or should one say taxpayers?