"This analysis of the board dynamics suggests the possibility of a strategic "setup" designed to generate litigation, potentially creating financial benefit for certain parties while advancing particular policy objectives through judicial rather than democratic means."
Read the whole thing HERE and come to your own conclusion.
By Gretchen Garrity
A lawsuit filed last September by former library board attorney Harry Styron was referenced at the Feb. 25, 2025 Christian County Library Board of Trustees meeting.
It was voted to table the preceding agenda item pertaining to removing the library district as a plaintiff from the lawsuit. This passed without any conflict. It was the next agenda item, “Fees from John Spurlock in Defense of the Lawsuit from Janis Hagen” that caused a stir. The exchange begins at around the 1:18:50 minute mark:
The lawsuit Mr. Styron filed, naming both the library district and Janis Hagen as plaintiffs against the majority board members who voted to remove Allyson Tuckness as president, was authorized without board deliberation or vote. However, only one board member is named as a plaintiff—Janis Hagen, and she indicated that her lawsuit is a “personal issue” between herself and the defendants that “has nothing to do with the library.”
| From: Styron and Shilling |
EMBEZZLEMENT ACCUSATIONS
Hagen also claims the lawsuit has nothing to do with the use of library funds “and [it] would be considered embezzlement and breaking the law” to pay the board members' legal fees incurred by the lawsuit.
Hagen tries to make the argument that the defendants are being sued as individuals and not as board members. Trustee Brazeale (an attorney) countered that the three board members were sued in their capacity as board members and not as individuals.
It appears that Hagen (and perhaps Interim Director Dana Roberts who chimes in) have been coached to suggest the possible embezzlement charges. They most likely would not have come up with this type of argument on their own. Would it be too far fetched to think that another lawsuit is being planned?
This type of
potential lawfare dovetails with the public doxxing that is going on
against the three board members. Interesting. File lawsuits that have
shock value in the public's view to drive a narrative. These things are done to
defame and ruin reputations and are easily recognized as a widely
used tactic of the Left.
In the video of the
meeting, you can see that Hagen claims she never spoke individually about the
lawsuit to attorney Styron until he had left his position as board
attorney (Nov. 21, 2024). She stated, “I individually talked to Harry after he had
resigned as the representative for the library.” If not individually, did she speak together with Mr. Styron and trustee Allyson Tuckness in August/September and agree to be the plaintiff in the lawsuit?
It seems strange that she did not individually consult with Attorney Styron from late August to late November when Mr. Styron ceased to work for the library district. If that is the case, how did the lawsuit come about on Sept. 23, 2024 with Hagen as a plaintiff if she was not consulting with him during that time? It doesn’t make sense.
But maybe the only sense that needs to be made is the public ruination of the three defendants’ reputations via lawsuits and doxxing.
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| "Concerned" (AI generated image) |
By Gretchen Garrity
When separate groups cannot come together to work out differences in
policy over public matters, it often devolves into name-calling,
smears, even outright untruths being hurled around. Such is the case
with the situation at the Christian County Library. An anonymous
blogger has begun writing polemical posts that mischaracterize events
and personally attack board members. The links are being shared on social media.
BACKGROUND
Over two years ago, citizens began to address the issue of age-inappropriate and sexually explicit books in the library. They exposed the kinds of books that were accessible to minors, spoke about the serious issues that can occur from exposure to those books, and asked the library board of trustees to ameliorate the problem.
They were met with resistance by the board, staff and a small group of citizens that includes activists, a college professor, and even a member of the press. In fact, as time went on it became apparent that the board and staff had a very different idea of the issues raised. They believed in the theory that “freedom of speech” meant minor children have a right to access any book in the library regardless of content. This is right in line with the ALA’s “Library Bill of Rights” and its “freedom to read,” both positions of the extreme Left.
The reasons behind this position have been well documented in many places. Dan Kleinman of Safe Libraries is a great place to get up to speed. And HERE is a recent article that details some of the materials in the CCL.
Of course U-turn in Education is spreading the manure around, too.
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| MSU Prof. Dudash-Buskirk's far-left group weighs in |
The community asked for compromises such as labeling books in the children’s and teen’s sections of the library; they asked for stickers; they asked for inappropriate books to be relocated. Overwhelmingly, challenges to books were unsuccessful based on “expert” reviews, publisher recommendations, and awards—from the very groups that stand to benefit from sales of these books to libraries.
When citizens
realized the library district was unresponsive to their concerns,
they approached the county commission for recourse. Several town
halls were organized, in which a large majority of citizens
sought for a resolution that would protect children from harm as well
as ensure the rights of adults to access the books in question. Because the county
commissioners are legally
tasked to appoint the library district’s board of trustees,
they took a more active role beginning in 2023-24, vetting candidates before
appointing three new members of the board. Previous practice had been to simply take the board of trustee's recommendations for new appointees.
The new members moved quickly to begin repairing trust with the community. Previous Board President Allyson Tuckness, who had a full year of contentiousness with the public (example HERE), was voted out as president when a new slate of officers was proposed and voted upon (see HERE).
Read HERE for an explanation that shows officer elections not only happen in December but at other times of the year as needed, both in the past and present. State statute mandates that board of trustee vacancies be filled in July, so the new board amended their bylaws to read that officer elections will be conducted in July but also confirms elections can be held any time of the year as needed.
LAWSUIT
| From: Styron and Shilling |
In a shocking move that brings attorney ethics into question, the library district’s attorney at the time, Harry Styron, sued a majority of the board members on behalf of the Library District and Board Secretary Janis Hagen, asking the court for a temporary restraining order to prevent the new configuration of board officers, as well as contending that the board had broken the Sunshine Law and its own bylaws by electing officers (and not just a vice president) in August. Again, see the explanation above.
Mr. Styron had been paid by the library district since 2017. In his duties he would have overseen annual bylaw reviews and officer elections happening in July, versus the elections he insisted in the lawsuit could only happen in December. What was he doing, if not serving to protect the District that employed him?
Styron’s TRO was not granted. Two subsequent hearings have concerned mostly procedural moves, and the case has yet to be heard on its merits. Former board member Tuckness abruptly resigned soon after the case was filed and Hagen's position as board secretary was never changed.
In the meantime, the
new board has revised a bylaw that had previously removed some of the board's
authority. See HERE.
This may be part of the problem in the library. The American Library
Association is an extreme Leftist organization that seeks to impose
socialist and even Marxist control through organizing local
libraries. Because the CCL has followed closely the policy statements
and ideology of the ALA and its state chapter, the MLA, power had
been siphoned from the publicly-appointed board and given to the
bureaucracy. This is very similar to what has happened on the state
and federal level with the administrative state and NGOs like the ALA/MLA.
The ALA also offers training, accreditation, and materials to library staff. Their insistence on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies is another form of indoctrination, one that federal and state governments are now quickly dismantling.
MISSION CREEP
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| From: Christian County Library |
Under the ALA, libraries have become not so much what they traditionally meant to a community, but more a “resource” offering anything from fishing tackle to mobile hot spots you can actually take home. Shot clinics are offered, paying your utility bills at the library, makeup classes, and many other activities that have little to do with reading and literacy are all advertised.
In the corporate
world, this is called “mission creep.”
In the last four years, the Christian County Library District has
grown, with additional buildings, possible plans for a fifth branch,
as well as a proposed remodeling of the Nixa branch. The library district
currently has sixty employees.
Regarding the hiring of a new executive director, the “Concerned” individual who wrote the recent tirades, said that board members had suggested a salary raise of “over 42 percent.” This is wildly inaccurate (so much for U-turn's verification). In a previous meeting the board had suggested raising the salary of the executive director and asked the staff for bench marking (checking salaries against similar positions elsewhere). This was done and presented to the board, and it actually shows that the previous director was under paid.
It was at this point that the staff began to suggest there was a funding problem. You can read about it HERE, but this is the relevant information:
“Budgeting is another very important aspect of running a $4 million operation. It came out at the last meeting that the library has a zero dollar budget, which means they spend every cent they take in. According to the News-Leader, “...in the past two years there have been no surplus, or carryover, funds.”
And just to let readers know, the budget was not changed when the pay scale for the executive director was raised by $1 per hour. This means that if a new executive director is hired at the top end of the pay range, it would be about a $2,000 difference over 12 months.
Let’s get back to the lack of surplus or carryover—the zero dollar budget. Mary Miller, the director of Finance and Business Operations, admitted at the January 31 meeting that there is a bond payment of $709,511 coming due in 2028. Go to page 6 of the Board Packet HERE.”
The
board is planning to take a closer look at the budgeting--and this has
apparently aroused the ire of the unnamed blogger and others. State statute notes, “The
librarian, for and on behalf of the board, shall keep or cause to be
kept financial records and accounts according to generally accepted
accounting standards, and shall furnish to the board or any member thereof the financial
records and accounts, or summaries thereof, that the board or any
member thereof may request.” (182.075)
The “Concerned”
polemicist has noted that the library district had to pay
fees for late bills. A simple Who, What, When, Where, Why and
How would no doubt explain the apparent $250 that has caused such
scandal. But that is not what the anonymous blogger
would want, one suspects.
The blogger also makes much of the legal expenses incurred by the library district since its own attorney and one board member sued, thereby necessitating the majority board members to secure legal representation to defend themselves. Hopefully the legal case will be resolved soon.
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| Nixa branch manager and former trustee push "Concerned" |
The current Nixa branch manager and former trustee who push these kinds of anonymous smear tactics
discredit themselves, their profession, and their cause. It won’t
stop anyone from working to protect children who visit the library.
