On behalf of our entire community, the St. Tammany Library Alliance would like to express our overwhelming support of the previous Library Board of Control (LBOC) members who are courageously fighting back in our legal system against yet another targeted attack on First Amendment Rights.
As of June 2024, the St. Tammany Parish Council removed four LBOC members and appointed five new members, all endorsed by the pro-censorship Accountability Project and their affiliate, Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany (CCST). The library millage is up for renewal in March of 2025 and we are closely monitoring developments in Livingston Parish where, despite residents voting to renew their millage with the funds dedicated to library programs, biased board members are reallocating funds away from essential library services in an attempt to defund the library.
The Alliance is concerned that our current board may pursue similar actions that would undermine our library system by potentially allowing for the misappropriation of dedicated library funds to other local government entities. We urge you to contact the Parish Council and request the removal of current LBOC members Reverend Belknap, Jill Kessler, and Tamarah Myers, as we believe they are not acting in the best interests of our library system.
Additional Background on the Library Board of Control
On May 2, 2024, the Parish Council voted to remove and replace the existing duly seated library board members instead of simply staggering their terms as was done with other boards. The proposal to remove and replace the current board was originally submitted by new Councilperson and co-founder and legal representation of the pro-censorship St. Tammany Parish Library Accountability Project, David Cougle, on March 7, 2024 after his failed attempts to impact related state law and, on the local level, limit access to predominantly LGBTQ+ materials in the library and form a redundant Library Accountability Board. This removal is despite the previous board being in full compliance of then Attorney General Landry's guidance on the implementation of Act 436/LA R.S. 25:225.
We are proud to support Bill McHugh, Anthony Parr, and Rebecca Taylor in their continued efforts to stand up for our First Amendment rights. The Alliance is committed to supporting our LGBTQ+ friends, family, and neighbors and equal representation in every public library across our parish. We encourage you to stand together in solidarity with the plaintiffs and support their efforts.
Additional background on this long-term attack on our LGBTQ+ community can be found here. St. Tammany is not the only Parish facing these attacks on our First Amendment rights, as can be seen in this year's proposed legislation impacting our public libraries across the state.
Sign the petition to support our libraries and stand against censorship!
Statements of Support for Plaintiffs in Lawsuit
St. Tammany Library Alliance Statement of Support for Plaintiffs
EveryLibrary Statement of Support
Legal filings in the case of William R. McHugh III, Anthony Parr, and Rebecca Taylor v Saint Tammany Parish and David Cougle
Complaint and Jury Demand (25 pg)
Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and for Preliminary Injunction (2 pg)
Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and for Preliminary Injunction (20 pg)
Media coverage
WWLTV: St. Tammany Library Board members file suit [May 21, 2024]
NOLA.com: 3 St. Tammany library board members file lawsuit to keep their jobs [May 21, 2024]
Library Journal: St. Tammany Library Board Members Sue Over Removal [May 20, 2024]
Louisiana Illuminator: St. Tammany library board members sue over removal [May 20, 2024]