The plot thickens: The battle over books comes at a cost
Be advised that this story contains references to sex acts involving children, and suicide.
LIVINGSTON PARISH, La. — It's been a year since the start of what one librarian here calls "The Troubles." That's when once-boring meetings of the Livingston Parish Library Board of Control started devolving into bitter brawls over books that some consider to be too sexual and harmful to kids. Meetings have been laced with insults, interruptions and the kind of profanity that would probably get you kicked out of the library.
At the most recent meeting in July, it wasn't quite as heated as the 100° temperatures outside, but tempers flared over plans to immediately remove challenged books under review from library shelves-- even if that takes months, or more.
Board member Larry Davis likened it to removing a teacher accused of sexual harassment until an investigation is complete. Others shot back that it was hardly the same thing, and vehemently objected to a policy they say would effectively empower one person to ban a book from the entire community. "Just leave it on the shelf," shouted one.
Tensions spilled over after the meeting when one board member confronted a conservative activist and implored him to stop insinuating online that she was a groomer.
"Look, just stop posting about me on Facebook," she demanded.
The activist snapped back that he never actually used the word "groomer," but made clear that he sees her as fair game.
"You're now a public person," he said. "So I'm going to talk about what I'm going to talk about."
Once-beloved librarians now vilified
It's something of a "new normal" here — as it is around the nation. No longer are just books under fire, but also the library administrators, teachers and long-beloved librarians who are defending them. They're being shouted down by parents, vilified on billboards, reported to the police, and trolled online, leaving many fearing for their safety.
"I had
