It is essential for Livingston Parish to understand the FACTS and the timelines of events from the past 2 years.
We believe in the TRUTH.
We stand by our library workers and our public library and we would like to put a stop to the false information being spread.
This page is NOT run by the library, but by concerned residents of Livingston Parish.
Purpose: To document the last 2+ years' attacks on our library and residents.
In the summer of 2022, then Livingston Library Board of Control (LBOC) member Erin Sandefur allegedly attended one of the Citizens for a New Louisiana’s (CFNL) self-titled “secret lunches”. This group was in favor of the Lafayette Parish LBOC removing displays (Cajun Heritage, Black History, Women’s History, etc), moving entire sections of non problematic children’s books to the adult section, and costing the library millions in funding. This group is not based in our parish. They are out of town activists.
Article 1: “Book displays targeting specific groups or topics such as Cajun heritage, Pride Month or Black History Month are prohibited indefinitely at public libraries in Louisiana’s Lafayette Parish, a newspaper reported.”
Article 2: “Dark money group works to sway another Lafayette tax election."
More information on the attack on Lafayette's public library system can be found at https://www.lacitizensagainstcensorship.org/.
In July of 2022, a member of the out-of-parish group CFNL posted a page from a book out of context on the LP Rants and Raves page and said everyone needed to “go to the LBOC meeting on July 19.” She said it was in the children’s section of the library. The book, which is recommended for ages 13 and up by the American Psychological Association, was in the TEEN nonfiction section: a section where younger children are not allowed to be without their parent in attendance and where teens are not allowed to check out books without their parent's permission. According to page 167 of the LPL Policy Handbook, “Children under the age of thirteen (13) years must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver. The Library as an institution and the staff as individuals do not assume the role of parent or caretaker, nor childcare provider for minor children.” (This was age 12 until a recent policy change.)
The book is titled Dating and Sex for the 21st Century Teen Boy. This was done deliberately to rile up the public. The page she used on the Facebook post is the exact same page used by then LBOC member Erin Sandefur at the July 19 meeting that was passed out to LBOC members.
On July 19, residents of the community came out in force to support the library. In opposition were out-of-town activists from CFNL who do not live or work in our parish. Here is the meeting transcript and audio.
On the agenda was listed “content and signage” by then LBOC member Erin Sandefur. She wanted books to be looked at based on her viewpoint. Agenda
Residents of Livingston Parish repeatedly pointed out to Mrs. Sandefur that the library already had challenge policies in place if she wanted to request a book be reconsidered. To this date, based on public records requests, the books’ availability on the library catalog, and her statements on public record, she has not completed a challenge form. To our knowledge, she still has these books checked out and has not returned them to the library. It has been over two years. She stated this at a LBOC meeting on public record. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axEqsrPHDzA We would like to know why she is holding books hostage and, if the books are so bad, why has Sandefur never completed an official challenge form? Information on Requests for Reconsideration can be found on pg. 91 of LPL Policy Handbook
It is essential for Livingston Parish to understand the FACTS and the timelines of events from the past 2 years surrounding the attacks on our library.. Here is day 2.
Several days after the July 19, 2022, library board of control meeting (LBOC), Citizens for a New Louisiana (CFNL) (the outside extremist group who started the controversy), started posting about a local educator. They made wild claims about what she said at the meeting in an attempt to continue stirring up the public about the library and to silence those in opposition to their attempts to cause chaos in our library. You can decide for yourself the truth. Her speech can be found HERE.
The Livingston Parish Parish Council (PC) held a meeting on Aug. 25, 2022, where members of CFNL attended. The agenda was widely distributed to the press. Why? Meeting Agenda
According to WAFB, “Michael Lunsford with the conservative group called Citizens for a New Louisiana was the first to sort of stir the pot about some controversial books found in the library.” WAFB report. Reminder: This is an outside extremist group. Michael Lunsford does not live or work in LP. Why is he in our parish? Who invited him?
Then Parish President Layton Ricks NEVER reached out to then Director Giovanni Tairov to ask him about current policy, the contentious meeting, or any books, before demanding that a letter be sent to the library. The letter stated there were two sides to every story, but he did not bother to ask the library’s side.
Then Rep. Valarie Hodges also attended the Parish Council meeting on August 25, 2022, and stated to WAFB, “I was very proud of him (Ricks) for drafting a letter to the library asking them simply to move the books from the children section to the adult section. These books are designed for adults and so they should be in the adult section.”
Rep. Hodges also NEVER had a discussion with Director Tairov to ask about books or policies. Reminder—the book is NOT an adult book. It is a book for teens and was in the TEEN nonfiction section. Hodges and her staff are known to associate with CFNL, the outside extremist group.
Then Parish President Layton Ricks and then Rep. Hodges took the word of outside extremists instead of consulting our award winning library director, who won Louisiana Public Library Director of the Year in 2019, and had worked as director of our parish for 15 years. During that time, our library had no issues and grew to great heights. If they were so concerned, why was the library never given the dignity of setting the record straight?
A LBOC meeting was held on Sept. 20, 2022. Erin Sandefur added Ricks’s letter to the agenda. Agenda.
LBOC member Ivy Graham, an attorney by profession, had concerns that Ricks and the PC were asking the library to skip steps and not follow policy and procedures already in place. Policy violations open the library up to lawsuits. Sandefur wanted to know names of employees who purchased books. Why?
Then LBOC member Sandefur made a motion to create a 3 person committee to review all library content. The vote failed because the library ALREADY had a policy in place. LBOC Debbie Henson made a motion to thank PP Layton Ricks for the thoughtful argument, but said that the library already had policies and procedures, and thus should not be operating outside of board policy. She requested a copy of the policy be sent to Layton Ricks. The motion passed by all members of the LBOC. Meeting Minutes and Audio of Meeting
CFNL wrote a blog post singling out the four LBOC members who did not want to break the law, and who chose to follow policy. It is our opinion this was to have them removed from the board, as the blog post encouraged people to email the Council. The CFNL blog also stated that maybe Livingston Parish should have 9 LBOC members, instead of the state-wide law/policy of 7. Why does LP need 9 LBOC members when almost every other LBOC in the state has 7 or fewer? This is the first attempt by the outside group at stacking our local LBOC. (This was eventually accomplished with the help of then Rep. Valarie Hodges and will be discussed later this week.)
Local educator Amanda Jones filed a defamation lawsuit in order to get relief from the harassment of CFNL and others. It is not a lawsuit about books. You can view the lawsuit in detail here to see what they posted about her and why she filed a lawsuit: Court Documents
Stay tuned tomorrow for a discussion on the books.
Let’s talk about the books. Have any books been banned in Livingston Parish? No, and nobody said they had been. Ever. So why have members of the alliance spoken out about bans at meetings? Because there HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTS TO BAN books, and we’ve spoken out against those attempts at book banning. Several books up for reconsideration had “remove from the library” on the challenge forms. Proof
A book removal, especially for LGBTQ viewpoints, is a ban plain and simple. That is against the law and opens our parish up to lawsuits.
We also use the term “censorship.” We have seen MANY censorship attempts in our library. Picture books and teen books that are relocated to adult sections, simply because someone doesn’t like the LGBTQ authors or characters is an attempt at censorship and is against the law. You will see examples below of children’s books with zero sexual content that residents wanted removed simply because a character was a member of the LGBTQ community.
Here’s a rumor we can squash: The library refuses to move books. That is false. Several challenges were made in which the library DID decide to relocate books. Three were relocated, 2 were retained in their current place based on law, and 1 has never been returned.
Let’s look at the books:
Dating and Sex: The 21s Century Guide for the Teen Boy: (Checked out and never returned.) The book that started it all, that was in a certain someone’s hands, has never been returned to the library. See Day 1 for information on the book. A challenge form was never filed.
Let’s Talk About It: (Relocated) This series was challenged. The library reviewed the content and decided to move this book from teen nonfiction to adult nonfiction. We agreed with the librarians’ decision, even though many teens would benefit from this book. Form
Sarah J Maas Series: (Relocated) This series begins as a Young Adult (YA) book, but gets more mature as the series continues. A patron challenged it. The library agreed to move the entire series from the YA section to the adult section, since the latter books in the series are adult. They did this to keep the series together. We agreed with the librarians’ decision since the series goes from YA to adult. Form
Pride Puppy (Retained): This is a picture book about a puppy in a parade. That’s it. There’s some rainbow flags. The book is for little kids and has zero sexual content. We agree with the library’s decision to retain this book in the children’s section. To move it because it has a pride flag would be discriminatory and against the law. Verdict
Queerfully and Wonderfully Made: (Relocated) This book was challenged. The LBOC reviewed the content and it was moved from teen nonfiction to the adult nonfiction section. This book WAS about the LGBTQ community, and written by therapists and pastors. We do not agree with the board’s decision, based on viewpoint discrimination. There is nothing sexually explicit in this book. Minutes, Video
I Am Not a Girl: (Retained) This book is about a trans child. The child gets a haircut. Tulane sent a letter stating, “Removing a book from library shelves violates the First Amendment when removal is based on a book’s message or viewpoint. … Neither the book’s text nor its illustrations depict or describe any sexual conduct whatsoever, much less any that meet the definition of La. R.S. 25:225(B)(3).” The parish attorney publicly stated the book contained no sexually explicit material. He said to relocate or remove it would open us up to lawsuits. Nevertheless, LBOC members Crosby, Davis and Christian voted that it was sexually explicit. Video, Meeting Minutes, and Tulane Letter.
You’ve probably also heard that this “isn’t about the LGBTQ community.” You can decide for yourselves. The last 3 challenged books were about the LGBTQ community. Five of the 8 titles originally “concerning” to then LBOC member Erin Sandefur were about the LGBTQ community. According to The Advocate, “The attack on books spread to Livingston Parish in July when library board member Erin Sandefur — who has since been elected to the Livingston Parish Council — distributed a list of books on subjects such as gender identity and an LGBTQ guide for teens that she wanted to restrict or ban.” Article
She also praised the library for not having Pride Month displays saying, “I am thankful that you did not allow Pride Month in our libraries.” See email where she says this, demands for book removals, and continues to falsely insist that there are inappropriate books in the children’s section of our library: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAdces
At a Jan. 11, 2024, PC meeting, LBOC member Larry Davis stated, “we represent the community. And the LGBTQ part of the community is not a majority. You have to get back to representative government. That is what we were elected to do. We cannot have a minority deciding what the library stands for……The majority of you are conservative. We have a conservative governor. We have a conservative legislature. So, they cannot come in – in the minority – and decide what is best for the majority and that’s what’s happening…We have to start listening to the people who pay taxes.” Video: (29:10 minutes in) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdEitFfsZJc&t=1961s Members of the LGBTQ community also pay taxes.
What does the Tulane First Amendment Law Clinic have to say about book removals? “Federal courts have held that stigmatizing controversial books by relocating or removing them from circulation is a First Amendment violation.Taking works off library shelves violates the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause. While we understand Member Davis’s comments in support of representative government, the First Amendment exists to protect all viewpoints. Material cannot be removed because it is unpopular or a minority viewpoint.” Tulane Letter
Children 13 and younger must be accompanied by adults in the library. The library has tiered card systems where parents control what their children check out. We have members of the LGBTQ community that deserve to have their families represented in our library, and they are afforded that right by law. If you do not like a book, challenge it or just don’t check it out.
If you would like to challenge a book, that is any resident’s right. We absolutely agree! However, you do not get to remove books just because YOU personally do not like them. We will repeat again that there are no sexually explicit books in the children’s section of our library. If you think there are, then fill out a form. You can pick one up at the library or find it on pg. 91 of the LPL Policy Handbook If you can’t come up with a title, because there are none, we ask you to stop disrespecting our library and library workers. They do not deserve this abuse.
Nov. 15, 2022 LBOC meeting: Then LBOC member Erin Sandefur expressed concern about documentaries in online app Kanopy that she deems “hardcore.” There is a children’s version of this app available and parents have complete control over their children’s access to videos. Nevertheless, then Director Tairov looked into this issue for her prior to the meeting, stating in an email that he contacted Kanopy and asked them to remove the documentaries in question. He reiterated that Kanopy can be locked by a parent to restrict it to children’s titles only, protected by a PIN, where they cannot view movies not listed as children’s movies. Email
At the same meeting, Sandefur insisted on creating a 3 member committee to create policy and procedures. Several board members pointed out that the library already had policies and procedures.
It is not the LBOC’s job to micromanage the trained, certified librarians. Remember: Anyone at any time can submit a request for reconsideration or approach the Director with questions and concerns. In the case of these documentaries, Sandefur asked and Tairov promptly handled the situation. This did not satisfy Sandefur.
No one seconded her motion, so the motion died. A man in the audience screamed that the LBOC “had no testicular fortitude and were pieces of shit” and then stormed out. This is one of the same men accused in a lawsuit of posting defamatory memes about a local educator and a known associate of the outside group that started these issues in our parish. Video, meeting minutes, and audio of entire meeting.
Before the January 2023 LBOC meeting, Sandefur resigned from the board (due to becoming a parish council (PC) member) and appointed Larry Davis to her seat on the board.
In March of 2023, then Director Tairov resigns. We will discuss that, along with the behavior of certain PC members leading up to that resignation, in an upcoming post. Shortly thereafter, Assistant Director Jennifer Seneca resigns. Longtime LP resident and LPL Director of Outreach, MIchelle Parrish, is hired as Director.
At the May 16, 2023, LBOC meeting, Davis wants to create a book challenge form. But one already exists. He asks that this item on the agenda then be skipped. He then suggests that the LPL should audit all 300,000 items in the collection to make sure there are no sexually explicit materials. He then suggests that if they don’t, and items are found that are sexually explicit, then they are liable and the board could go to jail. He presents zero evidence that there might be these materials in the library and is reminded there are already policies in place and anyone can object to specific material. He then gives a definition of sexual exploitation. He still does not name any titles or present evidence. He precedes to belittle members of LBOC and audience members. Then Parish Councilman Gerald McMorris has to step in and ask him to be respectful. Video of McMorris addressing Davis, meeting minutes, and Audio.
January 24, 2024, LBOC Meeting: The PC asked Director Parrish to place an item on the agenda that would require books to be pulled from shelves while undergoing book challenges. This is unconstitutional. Citizens cited concerns that if we experienced mass challenges like those seen in St. Tammany, it would mean resources would be unavailable to patrons in what could be a lengthy process. Article
Tulane 1st Amendment Law Clinic sent a letter warning the LBOC, “The potential policy of relocating challenged works pending review violates the Constitution. … This potential policy will allow some residents to effectively censor what the rest of the parish can access on library shelves. Taking works off library shelves violates the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause.” Letter
Around this same time frame, the LPL Alliance submitted a public records request to Parish President Delatte for emails concerning communications with the PC over the library. We were told no records existed. Shortly thereafter, Michael Lunsford of Citizens for a New Louisiana (remember—the group that started all of this?) posted a photo that stated, “When (banana emoji) doesn’t want you to meet in Livingston Parish, so you find a secure, undisclosed location (that they’d never expect) to discuss matters that may or may not be related to the Livingston Parish Library.” He then tagged Bayou State of Mind (the personal blog of Ryan Thames), Erin Sandefur and Larry Davis, and named Abby Crosby, too. He added, “And no public records were created.” Post (The banana is in reference to an alliance member. More on that later.)
Why do we have to ask Tulane to help us keep our leaders from breaking the law and infringing on our rights? Why do our leaders keep consorting with outside extremists who should have no say in the business of Livingston Parish, its residents and our libraries? What is all of this really about? Stay tuned.
Today we will discuss the reactions of our “leaders.”
Earlier this week, we posted about how then Parish President Ricks never spoke with our library director when an outside extremist group (Citizens for a New Louisiana) began attacking our library. Yesterday we posted how the director of that group bragged about avoiding public records after our alliance was told there were no records when we requested them from current Parish President Delatte.
Feb. 9, 2023: Parish Councilman Garry Talbert invited then Director Tairov to a Parish Council (PC) meeting to discuss the library. He then berated and grilled Tairov after revealing he hired a private investigator to find alleged pornography on computers. “We broke library rules by proving that pornography was accessible to kids,” said Talbert. Article “The investigator was unable to access adult content websites directly because the library uses a content filtering system.” Article “The investigator found a backdoor to break through the library’s firewall and viewed inappropriate content,” Tairov wrote in a statement condemning Talbert’s actions. “These actions are a willful violation of Library Board of Control policy 3-328 concerning internet usage via library computers.“ Minutes and Video
The adult private investigator was able to backdoor the library’s firewall. It is preposterous to think children who have access to phones and computers would go to the library, type in their library card number in a computer, and hack the firewall to find pornography. Talbert was running for office at the time. You will see a running theme of individuals who run for office using the library to pander for votes.
March 6, 2023: Director Tairov resigns. Soon after, Assistant Director Jennifer Seneca resigned. Who can blame them after so much online abuse from extremists and our own PC? The outside extremist group bragged and wrote on their blog: “Thanks to our work, on March 6, 2023, both the Library Director Giovanni Tairov and his assistant director resigned.”
On March 7, 2023, PC Talbert removed Debbie Henson from the LBOC. “When asked why Henson could not remain on the board until he had a replacement, Talbert said he did not want Henson to vote on the library system’s next director.” Henson was the only member of the LBOC with a library science degree and had voluntarily served the LBOC for years. Video and Article
Then Rep Valarie Hodges filed HB 628 which would allow LP to circumvent state law and add 2 more members to the Livingston LBOC. It passed as a state-level bill, though it specifically targeted Livingston Parish only. https://www.la-cac.org/hb-628 This was viewed as a blatant attempt by Hodges to stack the LP LBOC, rig the system, and cause further havoc in Livingston Parish.
Leading up to the October 2023 election, it was a who's who of people running for office showing up to LBOC meetings and using the library on their political mailers. All across the nation, extremists are starting fake controversies in libraries so that politicians can swoop in and save us all from problems that don’t exist. Sound familiar?
In Spring of 2024, Representative Kellee Dickerson filed HB 777. Bill info: https://www.la-cac.org/hb777. If passed, this bill could have seen librarians placed in jail and serving two years hard labor in prison for doing what they’ve been doing for years: Getting permission and financial support to attend any professional development opportunities offered by the American Library Association. Yes, you read that correctly. Prison for attending a professional learning conference. Additionally, this bill would have prevented LSU from paying their dues to the ALA for accreditation, thus forcing their MLIS graduate program to shutter, instantly losing nearly 1,000 students. The outside extremist group posted about it continually and showed up in the legislature with Rep. Dickerson. (from post) Librarians could have faced more jail time than criminals guilty of aggravated assault. The real assault was the continual targeting of our librarians by elected officials (from article) This embarrassing, waste of time bill made national headlines and LP was mocked across the U.S.: https://bookriot.com/louisiana-hb-777/
May 1, 2023 - HB777 in the legislature: Sen. Hodges’s legislative aide filled out a card in support of the bill as did the outside group, who walked in with Dickerson. LP Councilwoman Sandefur and LP LBOC member Davis attended the committee meeting to speak on the bill with Rep Dickerson. (Seeing a pattern of this meeting of the minds?)
LBOC Davis was so openly disrespectful to legislators that the hearing was paused to admonish him. Video Entire hearing for HB 777 can be found at https://tinyurl.com/LPLAd5hh.
When our LP trio could see that the bill was not going to be passed, there was a hot mic moment where PC Sandefur insinuates the legislators don’t even know what they’re voting on and LBOC member Davis says, “We’re dealing with…(sigh)...I’m surprised some of these people even got elected.” Video
Stay tuned for more!
Since July, we have lost three dedicated LBOC members because of the current Parish Council (PC).
July 11, 2024, Parish Council Meeting: Melissa Anderson’s, a retired English teacher’s term was up. Anderson LOVES our library and has been integral in several projects. PC Dean Coates did not even let her know with the courtesy of a phone call that she was going to be replaced. Residents sent over 400 emails on her behalf, but she was replaced. Video
Anderson’s replacement criticizes the library on social media. See EXAMPLE in which she is furthering the falsehoods that there are sexually explicit books in children’s sections of the library. We have concerns about a sitting board member posting such false information and seemingly being in support of banning books. If sexually explicit books were really in the children’s section, why hasn’t she filled out a challenge form? If anyone pushes for bans because of an uninformed opinion not based in fact, we could have a lawsuit at the taxpayers’ expense. Additionally, our library director and workers do not deserve this.
At the July 16, 2024, LBOC meeting, Rep. Roger Wilder, who obviously had never been at a LBOC meeting and had never called to talk to the library director, gave a speech that felt like nothing more than an attempt to grandstand and further malign the library. He showcased how he doesn’t understand how librarians already place books in the proper section based on professional reviews and judgment by comparing books to the motion picture association. He insisted that he wanted parents to be in charge of what their kids have access to. (They already are in charge. Yeah that one stumped us, too.) And he ranted about gender mutilation which was not germane to anything closely resembling an agenda item. He mentioned that children can’t buy Hustler magazine at gas stations as an example of restricting their access to adult content. This comparison once again adds to the false implications that our libraries have porn available to children – THEY DO NOT. He then told our director that the library needed certain requirements for children’s library cards. Our director told him the library ALREADY had this, and then he stated, “Yeah, I didn’t know. … I haven’t paid much attention to this to be honest with you.” So, why was he speaking? He was speaking to insinuate that if the LBOC didn’t vote the way he felt they should, they would be removed. See for yourselves. Video. And that’s exactly what happened afterwards.
At the same meeting, the parish attorney and Tulane 1st Amendment Law warned the LBOC that there was no sexually explicit material in the book that some wanted removed/relocated.
At the July 25, 2024, PC meeting, even though the people of the parish voted to renew the decades old library millage at 10 mill, PC Ricky Goff demanded that the library board voluntarily drop that to 7.75 mill or – if not – he would see to it that the parish council would drop it even lower. Video
On Aug. 8, 2024, LBOC member Ivy Graham was dismissed without cause by PC Billy Taylor after she refused to vote in favor of labeling a book with zero sex in it as sexually explicit. Just like Anderson, she also was not told in advance by PC Taylor that she was being removed. Video
She was despicably called a groomer on social media. This behavior is embarrassing to our parish. Citizens for a New Louisiana, the outside extremist group who started the library attacks, posted this about the removal of Graham.
On Aug. 13, 2024, the LBOC held a special millage meeting and agreed to Goff’s 7.75 mill demand so that the PC wouldn’t lower it further. Agenda
On Aug. 22, 2024, LBOC member Wendy Neal was dismissed without cause by PC Joe Erdey. She, too, was not told in advance by Erdey that she was being removed. At the PC meeting that night, her Christianity came into question by a member of the audience. There was a horrific display of behavior at the meeting, including by LBOC Davis in the audience. See for yourselves. Video
She was called names online and it was stated that she is liberal. She is a Republican and Christian. Citizens for a New Louisiana, the outside extremist group who started the library attacks, posted this with hashtag “winning”:
Are we sensing a pattern yet? Is our Council doing the bidding of an outside extremist group that targets libraries across the state?
Now might be a good time to remind LP residents that the group that started it all, and who has caused chaos in Lafayette Parish, was invited into our parish. Who invited them?
Pictured here are the attendees at one of their self-titled secret lunches. It was about libraries and the following Livingston Parish officials were in attendance: 2 LBOC members, 2 members of the Parish Council, and the legislative aides for BOTH Hodges and Dickerson. At the meeting, a PC member worried it was being recorded. (It was and it’s a wild ride of library conspiracy and lies.) Soon after this meeting is when Dickerson filed HB 777 to jail librarians. Picture
At the last two LBOC meetings, people who spoke out against censorship were talked over, often interrupted, and talked down to by 2 members of the LBOC. People who spoke in favor of censorship were treated with respect and thanked. One resident even commented on public record about the marked difference in treatment. Video
At one point, LBOC Davis tried to tell 2 residents they could not talk about something at the meeting during public comment. Tulane sent a warning letter that states, “All speakers— regardless of their views—must be given a chance to speak in a public forum on matters of public concern and weigh in on their government’s decisions. The LBOC cannot silence speakers.” Letter
We had a level-headed LBOC in which the majority followed the law and weighed book challenges very carefully. But some members of our Parish Council continue to listen to extremists, so 3 LBOC members have been replaced/removed from the board just this summer.
Parish President Randy Delatte took advantage of an option that has been available all along but never really used by previous parish presidents – he added an ex officio member to represent himself at library board meetings. This 10th person is there to speak on his behalf, though legally is not allowed to vote. She attended the last library board meeting and insisted on voting. It’s concerning that she has come to LBOC meetings to sit with associates of Citizens for a New Louisiana.
After the last LBOC meeting, in which some audience members were treated respectfully and some were silenced, LBOC member Abby Crosby posted this on Facebook:. In the picture is her husband and the legislative aide to Sen Valarie Hodges mocking a local educator and member of the library alliance. The outside group Citizens for a New Louisiana has nicknamed the local educator “Bananas” because she speaks out in support of the library system they are trying to destroy. This is a shameful display of online bullying by someone from our Senator’s office and a LBOC member. Does our PC and Sen. Hodges support this type of behavior? What type of example is this setting for the children of our parish?
Moving forward, we worry several things will happen:
Every item we defeated in the past will be returned to the agenda and pushed through. This could potentially include more book relocations, more book challenges, more restrictions on underage checkouts, elimination of any minor (17 and under) being allowed in the library without a parent, and more.
We have strong reasons to suspect that there will be an attempt to oust Mr. Bencaz as the long-standing library board president and replace him with one of the more extreme LBOC members. The board president gets to run the library board meeting and with any of them in charge, it’s highly likely that public comment will be heavily controlled, limited and admonished. In Lafayette, we’ve seen this become the point where citizens were escorted out by police because a board member did not like what was being said. Article
We suspect this is what agenda item 9A is about for this week’s meeting. Agenda
With the recent legislative removal of degree requirements for library directors, we fear that this will be used to replace our Livingston Parish-born library’s director, Michelle Parrish, with an unqualified person who will do the extremists’ bidding.
What can you do to help? Choose one or ALL of these to help our library:
Sign up for/renew your library card.
Visit the library and check out books.
Download magazines, ebooks, newspapers, audiobooks, and more from the library’s digital catalog.
If you only want to use digital resources and don’t have a library card, you can apply for a digital card from home.
Subscribe to the library’s newsletter.
Save the date and plan on attending the LPL Book Festival on Nov. 9.
Look at their programming and sign up for an event. They have events for all ages at all locations.
Join a book club at the library!
Book a meeting room (for free!) for your next club or meeting.
Check out one of the unique items from the “Library of Things”
Follow our public library’s Facebook page.
We would like to encourage you to attend library board meetings. The next one will be on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 at 6 p.m. It will be held at the Main Branch in Livingston at 20390 Iowa Street. Show up and wear purple (because this isn’t a “red” or “blue” issue!). You don’t have to speak. Did you know you can fill out a red opposition card for agenda item 9A at the meeting without having to speak? Agenda
Purpose: To document the removal of 4 LBOC members.
Several people were shocked at our post of what was said by Scott Dickerson. We agree, it was shocking. Ask yourselves why some got mad at us posting that comment, a comment he actually made…..yet they didn’t get mad about his BEHAVIOR? Why were some mad at us posting HIS comment, but have not been mad at the men who repeatedly call our LBOC members and community members vile names online? Why the double standard?
Over the next few days, we will give you what you want—the full story about Francine Smith and the removals of board members. Do you think there might be more to the story than that vile Dickerson quote? There is. Here we go…
In the summer of 2022, Fran Smith, a woman who loves Livingston Parish and our library, as seen by decades of service to our community, first saw her fellow school librarian colleague and friend unjustly attacked and maligned in 2022 for speaking out against censorship at a public LBOC meeting. This was the speech that prompted this harassment by two men, led by the outside group Citizens for a New Louisiana (CFNL).
Speech: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAspeech
Pictures: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAvte
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Then Fran saw one of these men yell at LBOC members at a public meeting of the board. An associate of Citizens for a New Louisiana called the board, including longtime educator and respected community member Kathy Degeneres, a piece of shit at an open board meeting.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z74WGNZmBWk
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Then Fran saw this same outside group, along with insiders backed by Livingston Rising PAC (Created by the spouse of Councilwoman Erin Sanfedur) repeatedly attack and malign her friends the Minceys and smear Buddy Mincey during last fall’s election, calling him awful names.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC5rhC13wI0
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Then Fran watched as State Rep Kellee Dickerson lobbied against a teacher pay raise (Fran is an educator) and watched as she filed a bill in the LA Legislature (HB 777) to imprison librarians to two years hard labor (her profession) for attending a conference with their professional organization. This was backed by Parish Councilwoman Erin Sandefur, LBOC Member Larry Davis, and the outside group CFNL.
Post: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAkdp
Article: https://tinyurl.com/LPLA777a
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Fran saw her mentor, and former LBOC member Debbie Henson, publicly maligned by these same people, and Debbie’s treatment/unfair removal by the Parish Council. Fran spoke to the Parish Council on Mrs. Henson’s behalf, even though she was interested in the LBOC position. She advocated for Debbie over herself. They removed Debbie anyway.
Video: https://youtu.be/NVHdmGUb21Y?feature=shared
Fran held it in and said nothing.
For over two years, we have seen an attack on our public library, LBOC members, and people who speak up for the library at meetings. Along with the rest of the community, unjustly removed LBOC member Fran Smith saw the following: a fellow school librarian being defamed, LBOC being called pieces of shit, community members being smeared, her mentor Debbie be maligned and removed from the LBOC, and a state Rep who filed a bill against librarians in the legislature.
Fran held it in and said nothing.
In March of 2023, Fran watched in horror as our longtime and well respected former library director, Giovanni Tairov, was treated disgustingly by the outside group Citizens for a New Louisiana. Tairov, who worked tirelessly for our LP Library system for over a decade, was accused of not only allowing erotica in the library (FALSE), but allowing it in the kids’ section (FALSE). The lies being told about our community members are atrocious. Tairov was harassed by this outside group and mistreated by our Parish Council until he resigned. Soon after, Assistant Director Jennifer Seneca resigned. Who can blame them after so much online abuse from extremists and our own PC? The outside extremist group bragged and wrote: “Thanks to our work, on March 6, 2023, both the Library Director Giovanni Tairov and his assistant director resigned.”
Posts: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAgtp
Video: (begins around 33 min in) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_wS_FPeSRQ
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Fran was nominated and went before the Parish Council for the appointment. After Fran was approved for the LBOC position, she quietly sat in the audience and watched as Abby Crosby opposed her board appointment and accused her of misbehavior at a school board meeting and of having a fake Facebook profile. This display at a Parish Council public meeting is despicable.
Video: https://youtu.be/amBWCB4aq8I?feature=shared
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Fran joined the LBOC and worked hard to be a fair and open-minded member, even when consistently talked down to by fellow LBOC member Larry Davis. At one meeting, Parish Councilman Gerald McMorris had to step in and defend her treatment by Larry Davis.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VxFGNFzHmyA
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Fran was publicly called names and berated by community members at LBOC meetings. She was falsely accused of wanting children to look at penises that weren’t even in any books in question.
Video (2:02 into the video): https://www.youtube.com/live/vNbl9gK6ebU?si=YtAaa3Xm7WNgElG2
Fran held it in and said nothing.
She watched as vile things were said online and that LBOC members were groomers.
Post: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAccg
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Fran watched as her fellow LBOC members were called names on social media and unfairly removed by the Parish Council. She saw their removal celebrated by this outside group who works to target residents of Livingston Parish.
Posts: https://tinyurl.com/LPLApvw
Fran held it in and said nothing as these women were targeted.
How much was Fran expected to take? Stay tuned.
For the past two days, we have shown attacks on residents of our community and library. From the board removals, defamation, and hostile language to the targeting of residents and harassment.
LBOC member Francine Smith was told repeatedly by Parish Councilman Ryan Chavers that Rep Kellee Dickerson was attempting to use her influence to have Fran removed from the LBOC for months. Fran had done nothing wrong. Why did she want her removed? We suspect it was because she was following the law, following the parish attorney’s advice, and refusing to ban books.
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Fran watched the legislative hearing for HB 777 where Rep Kellee Dickerson, Larry Davis, and Erin Sandefur stated inaccuracies and misrepresentations about libraries and librarians. Fran watched as Larry Davis was admonished for his behavior in the State Legislature—the same behavior he shows at LBOC meetings. Fran watched how unprepared Rep. Dickerson was and how she just seemed to be parroting unsubstantiated talking points pushed to further malign libraries and librarians.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2QfBSrerRY
Full hearing: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAd5hh
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Fran saw fellow LBOC member Dewanna Christian stoking the flames against the library on social media. She also saw her not take her role on the LBOC seriously by asking if she even has to read the challenged books. We feel all LBOC should take their positions seriously by promoting the library in a positive light online, and by committing to reading and reflecting on all of the challenged books. The Supreme Court has previously ruled (Miller vs California) regarding how to evaluate books. As a trained librarian, Fran Smith was knowledgeable about these standards, which include how works must be evaluated as a whole.
Example post: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAdiab
Email: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAcdb
Fran saw all of this, held it in, and said nothing.
Bridgette Gilbert was appointed as ex-officio of the LBOC by Parish President Randy Delatte. She had previously attended LBOC meetings with Rep. Kellee Dickerson. One of the first things she tried to do on the LBOC was question, and seemingly impede, the partnership between the library and Mighty Moms. The library has partnered with Mighty Moms, an outstanding organization that improves the lives of many children in our parish, for YEARS with no issues. Sometimes the snacks and meals they offer are the only food those children will get that day. Our LBOC member Kathy Degeneres knows how important this organization is and has volunteered for them. We are thankful to this organization that has provided thousands of meals and snacks to the children of our parish. They are a professional organization that knows what they are doing. Bridgette wanted to place hurdles in front of this service and referred to the valuable services and partnership by Mighty Moms as “this situation”.
Emails: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAfbmm
Fran held it in and said nothing.
The legality of Mrs. Gilbert’s ex-officio appointment was examined and she was removed from the LBOC. The rumor mill is buzzing that Councilman Chavers could possibly put her in Fran Smith’s place on the board. After the numerous negative emails towards our director that we have seen from her, combined with the micromanaging of agenda items and trying to impede the Mighty Moms program, we hope that is not the case. It would also be a bad look to remove a LBOC member at the request of Rep. Kellee Dickerson in order to replace her with Rep Dickerson’s close friend. One might say … that was the plan all along. That would be a bad look for Chavers who insists he has no agenda and isn’t trying to stack the board.
Emails: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAexof
Fran saw LBOC member Abby Crosby, her husband Brad Crosby, and Valarie Hodges’s legislative aid mock a fellow school librarian after a board meeting. Hint: They childishly call her “bananas.” This type of open behavior, especially posted on social media, is embarrassing for our parish.
Post: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAmaciad
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Fran saw the outside group continue to target LBOC members and lie about the happenings of LBOC members and meetings. They posted their pictures online and Fran saw disgusting comments online about her friends and fellow board members. What was said in the post (linked below) is a lie and was not what happened in the meeting. This was just another attempt by CFNL to spread havoc and lies from their parish to ours.
Post: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAiht
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Fran watched as LBOC member Larry Davis placed an item on the agenda to vote for a new “chair” of the LBOC. There’s no such thing as a board chair. Was this an attempt to remove longtime board member and Board President Mr. Ronnie Bencaz from his position? The item was pulled from the agenda when he realized it was not going his way. It is important to note that Larry speaks rudely to Mr. Bencaz during meetings, and often mutters, “Jesus Christ,” when Mr. Bencaz speaks. This behavior against a longtime community treasure can only be described as despicable.
Email: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAlnie
Agenda: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAags
Video: https://youtu.be/KzlijYHiUNY?feature=shared
Fran has witnessed a lot of negativity. She held it in and said nothing.
Stay tuned.
For 3 days, we have shown attacks on residents of our community, LBOC members, and the library. Much has been instigated from forces outside of our parish, but as the evidence shows, they are aided by elected and appointed officials from within our parish.
Over the past few months, there have been misleading posts on social media about the creation of a parenting shelf. A compromise was made that could have satisfied all parties, and the community favorably voiced approval. That was not good enough for several LBOC members. Abby Crosby asked for a special meeting. Mr. Bencaz said yes and emailed to request the special meeting so the board could discuss it further. In response, Larry Davis threatened to sue LBOC members. Look for yourself at the emails and see how certain members of the board respond to others.
Email chain: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAesmps
The “oh-so-horrible” parenting shelf: https://tinyurl.com/LPLApswb
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Fran watched as LBOC member Abby Crosby berated Director Michelle Parrish, and Fran herself, outside of the last board meeting. In the video, Mrs. Crosby identified herself as a LBOC member, it was recorded on library property, and she was acting in her role as a LBOC member when she live-streamed this video. Why is a LBOC member allowed to publicly behave this way, yet Fran Smith was removed for a private conversation?
Video: https://youtu.be/DcqGufXasjE?feature=shared
Fran held it in and said nothing.
Fran finally had enough when Citizens for a New Louisiana made an inflammatory post about LBOC members and what happened at the last LBOC meeting. Scott Dickerson, Rep. Kellee Dickerson’s husband, began publicly commenting about Fran on social media. Fran chose to send a private message to Mr. Dickerson rather than publicly address her frustrations. Were her comments bold? Yes. Could she have worded them better? Maybe.
After over 2 years, Francine Smith finally decided she had enough.
This is the conversation in full, along with the post: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAsdatf
“I have to say that you are one distorted individual. You’re [sic] ignorance on so many things is astounding. You’re just a spec [sic] of crap on my shoe. Meaningless, just annoying. You wish you could be [Kellee]....I feel sorry for your husband.” —Scott Dickerson to Fran Smith
A former teacher of Rep. Dickerson questioned Rep. Dickerson’s actions in an email and voiced support for an alliance member. Using her State Rep. email account, Rep. Dickerson implied her former teacher might have dementia. We won’t even go into the grossness of that comment towards an elderly woman. Once again, this is a case of true colors shining through.
Emails: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAkhde
Rep. Dickerson has publicly stated that everyone should be allowed freedom of speech. Seems that only applies to speech she likes, not speech that calls her or her husband out for bad behavior. The hypocrisy in the following video is astounding.
Video: https://youtu.be/ozYtIeEQO2I?feature=shared
Ryan Chavers did not stand up for his LBOC member. He threw her under the bus and bowed to pressure from Rep. Kellee Dickerson, who should have zero influence over the LBOC other than as a resident like everyone else. Residents sent 1,140 emails to the Parish Council against Fran’s removal.
Video: https://youtu.be/idW4IV6jtHY?feature=shared
As usual, the outside extremist group celebrated. This group is based in Lafayette. They do not live or work here. Why are they continually trying to influence OUR PARISH’S library? Who in our parish is working with them? Hmmmm....
Post: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAwwilp
Francine Smith was asked to resign from the LBOC. She prayed about it and decided not to. Fran was tired of being quiet. Fran’s only “crime” was a private conversation after more than 2 years of witnessing ugliness and abuse lodged at her, her friends and the library. Fran had this to say at the Parish Council meeting.
Video: https://youtu.be/iEVww8Ufh-s?feature=shared
Francine Smith boldly stood in front of the Parish Council to put it on the record. There is much to be said for Fran’s bravery, knowing it would be embarrassing and hurtful to herself. She owned it. We expected nothing less from this Desert Storm veteran and educator of some of our strongest-willed children. She spoke with dignity and grace. Yet she was still removed for voicing an opinion in a private message, as a constituent addressing her representative, and was not acting on behalf of the LBOC. Citizens on any side, who hold any belief, should be able to speak up without a governing body punishing that free speech as an individual. These actions of our Parish Council chill our free speech. Perhaps that's the point.
Want the truth? We will leave you with this:
Video: https://youtu.be/pS9W5pyAUm0?feature=shared
Fran was tired of being silent. She had enough. We have, too. We stand proudly with Francine Smith.
For 4 days, we have shown attacks on residents of our community, LBOC members, and the library. Much has been instigated from forces outside of our parish, but as the evidence shows, they are aided by elected and appointed officials from within our parish. You can find a brief recap here: https://www.lplalliance.com/the-removal-of-fran-smith.
Outspoken and strong women are being targeted and talked down to by people in elected and appointed positions in our Parish. It is a growing problem. For example, planning commission member Brian Clemmons posted about LPL Library Director Michelle Parrish, as if she were a dog, stating, “She needs to be called to heel,” when Councilman Chavers said he was considering appointing a new LBOC member from a list of community members Michelle recommended. Councilman Chavers can appoint any person he likes; he is not required to choose from Michelle’s recommendations. However, a good library director passes on names to Council members of those who show interest in joining the board. To date, Councilman Chavers has not defended Michelle from this personal attack. This is not the first time Brian Clemmons has spoken derogatively about women. Does our Parish President approve of this behavior? We hope not.
Post: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAbcd
We expect more from our elected and appointed officials. Fran Smith had enough of the repeated abuse and privately said so. She is human. Others consistently push hate at LBOC meetings and on social media with zero repercussions. If you don’t see the double standard, then you might be a part of the problem.
When is it going to stop–when our library is finally destroyed? Ask yourselves if the people attacking our library even use the library or have library cards. I think you already know the answer. Ask yourselves what their REAL agenda is. There are better ways to gain attention than maligning our library.
A local pastor held up a book he didn’t like at the last Parish Council meeting, stating he has plans to read from it at the next LBOC. This is referred to as a “book crisis actor”. He wants to get attention. He then said he had a list of 125 books he wanted removed. Based on the misinformed and hysterical posts he often makes on social media, we do not want this man in charge of our reading decisions. We trust the trained and educated librarians.
See this article titled, “Hero Syndrome in Book Banning Efforts”: https://bookriot.com/hero-syndrome-in-book-banning-efforts/
Hero syndrome is much more evident in a hyper-connected world. It gives people a feeling of purpose, and the more they can “empower” others to stand up, the more they are rewarded.
These people show up to meetings, feeling a sense of connection among people in an era of disconnection, and faithfully following others to fight against the topic du jour.
People who read books out of context in open meetings are attention seekers and this is how they go about it. They need all eyes on them. It’s not about the books.
Through public records requests, we have found that four new titles have been challenged, and we suspect there are more (based on social media comments). These are not in the children’s section. They are in Young Adult/Teen. The library has a tiered library card system, so parents have to sign off on book checkouts for kids under 16 unless they sign away permissions. If a parent doesn’t want their kid to check out a book, and they’re under 16, they can’t anyway. And if a parent doesn’t want their kid even looking in the Teen/YA section, they should come to the library with them. The library is not a daycare.
Library Card Policy for Minors: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAlcp
Unaccompanied Minors Policy: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAmcil
The currently known challenged books are:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Me, Early, and the Dying Girl
Damsel
13 Reasons Why
These books are written for teens and are in the teen section.
This week, we posted the following about LBOC member Dewanna Christian: “Fran saw fellow LBOC member Dewanna Christian stoking the flames against the library on social media. She also saw her not take her role on the LBOC seriously by asking if she even has to read the challenged books. We feel all LBOC should take their positions seriously by promoting the library in a positive light online, and by committing to reading and reflecting on all of the challenged books.”
Apparently the truth struck a nerve. Mrs. Christian posted, “Do y’all know that the library alliance group thinks we should ignore sexually explicit material if the book as a whole has a good story to tell?”
As a group of citizens dedicated to supporting the 1st Amendment, library policies, and the law, of course we expect a LBOC member to do her due diligence and read the entire book. It’s in her description of duties as a board member. The Supreme Court has previously ruled (Miller vs California) regarding how to evaluate books. We expect her to follow the law. If she cannot follow library policy and/or law, she should not be on the board.
This is what she had to say about it (in her own words): https://tinyurl.com/LPLAfdce
There’s also been much discussion about the law. What is The Miller Test?
The Miller Test is the primary legal test for determining whether expression constitutes obscenity. As per the Supreme Court, materials MUST PASS ALL 3 PRONGS of the Miller Test. They are:
whether the average person applying contemporary community standards would find the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest;
whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law; and
whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
References: https://tinyurl.com/LPLAmtedc
Miller vs California: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/413/15/
We will be posting summaries, professional reviews, etc for these books soon. With the repeated removal of level-headed LBOC members, we expect blatant censorship against these books and others by the new board. We hope we are wrong.
If successful, they will continue to remove and relocate books from our public library—books that have been around for many years with no problems. Books that are widely recognized as having literary merit.
It is not about the books. It is about the violation of everyone’s first amendment protections and the freedom to read. It is about them wanting to be angry about something and they’ve been told to be angry at the library. It is about them trying to have power and control over what the rest of us have access to in the public library.
Know the facts. Fight the lies. Stand with the library.
At the November LBOC meeting, two books written for teens, that were housed in the teen collection, were moved to the adult section. Moving books professionally reviewed for teenagers from the teen section to the adult section is a form of censorship. The books do not meet the criteria for sexually explicit material and pass the Miller Test, which involves taking into consideration the work as a whole for its literary merit. Nevertheless, they were moved.
The Books:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Contained in the library's collection for over 20 years with zero previous complaints.
Stephen Chbosky: A coming of age novel about Charlie, a freshman in high school who is a wallflower, shy and introspective, and very intelligent. He deals with the usual teen problems, but also with the suicide of his best friend. (Fiction, Young Adult)
Note from the Author:
“This book is my love letter and wish for every kid who is struggling with identity, because at the time I was writing it, I was struggling with my own.”—Stephen Chbosky
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: Contained in the library's collection for 12 years with zero previous complaints.
Jesse Andrews: Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics. Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel. Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia — cue extreme adolescent awkwardness — but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed…. (Fiction, Young Adult)
Note from the Author:
“If you read my book from front to back, I promise you, you will not find it pornographic. Just to define our terms: the function of pornography is to stimulate erotic arousal. No one, and I find it wild that I have to spell this out, has ever been erotically aroused by reading Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
In earnest, I find it heartbreaking that the book-banning crowd is using poor reading comprehension as a tool to deny kids access to the very books that might make them better readers. And this might be where you say: 'Jesse, how would your weird book, with its gross-out riffs and many swear words, help a kid read better?' I think this is a totally fair question to ask. My answer is: that profane language reflects the way real-life teenagers actually talk, and that kind of realism makes kids enjoy reading. Not all kids! Maybe not most kids. But some. Who might not otherwise realize that reading can be fun. And that to me is really important. . . The notion that books harm kids is utterly perverse. The harm is done by not teaching them to read."
Items to be added soon:
November/December 2024 meeting behavior
The resignation of an LBOC member due to concerning behavior of others.
Officer election (open meetings violations)
Treatment of longtime LBOC member Kathy Degeneres
Attempts at railroading the budget by four members of the LBOC
Open meetings violations
New LBOC appointment by Chavers
5 more books up or reconsideration
