LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union initiated a lawsuit representing an Arkansas librarian who was dismissed from her position after advocating against efforts to limit public access to various books.
The legal action is on behalf of Patty Hector, the former director of the Saline County Library, who lost her job in 2023 amid a campaign targeting books available in the library. Saline County Judge Matt Brumley, who was responsible for Hector’s termination, is named as one of the defendants in the lawsuit. He has stated that the county will refrain from commenting on ongoing litigation.
“I could not remain quiet while calls for censorship aimed at marginalized communities compromised our library’s mission,” Hector stated through a press release from the ACLU of Arkansas. “The loss of my job was heartbreaking, yet I am determined to challenge these actions.”
Hector’s lawsuit is filed during a time when there has been an unprecedented increase in the removal of books from library collections. Furthermore, many Republican-led states have been advocating for policies that simplify the process for people to challenge the availability of specific books in both schools and public libraries. In 2023, Arkansas passed a law related to this issue, which was later invalidated by a federal judge.
Hector’s termination followed a campaign by a group called the Saline County Republican Women, which sought to censor books addressing topics related to race and LGBTQ+ issues. Hector opposed a resolution passed by the county’s governing board, the quorum court, which recommended relocating such books to sections inaccessible to children.
Subsequently, the quorum court enacted an ordinance that stripped the library board of its power to hire and fire staff, transferring that authority to the county judge. Judge Brumley proceeded to dismiss Hector less than two months after the ordinance was enacted.
The lawsuit claims that both Brumley and the county violated Hector’s First Amendment rights and requests the court to repeal the ordinance that limits the library board’s staffing authority, labeling it unconstitutional.
“Ms. Hector’s dismissal was a consequence of her standing up for the right to read freely and her refusal to allow political pressure to dictate the library’s function,” stated John Williams, the legal director for the ACLU of Arkansas. “Retaliating against her for addressing such vital issues is not just unconstitutional; it also poses a threat to the core values of free expression and public access to information that libraries uphold.”
Additionally, the lawsuit demands compensation for back pay and damages. The complaint details that Hector has had to seek therapeutic support to deal with the emotional repercussions stemming from the backlash she faced for opposing book censorship.
