Erica Thomas , 1819 News; Foley Library director who refused to remove inappropriate material from children section departing for Wyoming
John Jackson was hired by the Campbell County Public Library System in Wyoming as its executive director.
The system's former director, Terri Lesley, was fired on July 28 following the discovery of what some called pornography in the children and teen sections of the Gillette Library. Lesley said she believed the public was being harmed by being unable to access various information. After being fired, she filed a lawsuit against the library system for discrimination and members of a family who reportedly defamed her by writing Letters to the Editor accusing her of illegal activity.
When residents in Foley voiced concerns in August about similar material, Jackson told 1819 News he would not remove inappropriate material from the children or young adult sections if he saw it.
"I have the ability to take it off the shelf, but I will not take it off the shelf because I will not be self-censoring," Jackson said. "I will not fall into the trap to becoming a censor and a book-banner because once you do that, where do you stop? You then become ruled by whatever anyone comes in and says they find offensive. I'm sure that someone could find content in virtually any book on the shelf offensive based on their personal beliefs, so once you start book banning, there's no end to it."
Jackson said he would stand against censorship and that moves against the books were also against constitutional rights."
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