Unraveling the tangled Autauga-Prattville library controversy: What's next?
PRATTVILLE − A week after the Autauga-Prattville Library Board of Trustees fired director Andrew Foster, controversy still swirls around the board’s actions and questions remain about what actions, if any, opponents of the move can take against the board.
Foster was hired in July, just as a controversy about the subject matter of some books displayed in the childrens’ section began to heat up. After the March 14 meeting during which Foster was fired, a statement was released by the board saying he was fired because he released information about the library following a request by a media outlet. The statement added that he was also fired for “violation of criminal law," though the board didn't state the specific violations at the time.
Employees at the main branch in Prattville closed the building in protest, and board chair Ray Boles then fired the employees for not opening the building.
At least one employee has since returned to work.
Who's on the board?
The trustee board is made up of seven members appointed by the Autauga County Commission and the Prattville City Council. Each government appoints three members to four-year terms. On a rotating basis, the council and commission appoint the seventh member to a one-year term.
Opponents of Foster’s firing have demanded the governments remove the current board and re-appoint new members.
The meeting during which Foster was fired was attended by Boles and trustees Rachel Wood Daniels, Gloria Kuykendall and Quincy Minor. It was a unanimous vote. Board members Logan Strock and Doug Darr did not attend the meeting.
Boles, Daniels, Strock and Darr are county appointees. Kuykendall and Minor are city appointees. The third city slot remains vacant. Board members serve voluntarily.
The governments have no direct power over the board once members are appointed. County attorney Kyle Shirley said case law exists allowing for the impeachment of board members “for cause,” but the law doesn’t spell out the definition of “for cause."
The library board of trustees is a codified board responsible for the operation of the library system. The system operates countywide with the main building in Prattville and branches in Autaugaville, Marbury and Billingsley.
What's next?
The board appointed Tammy Bear interim director while they search for a new permanent director. The board also wants to hire enough workers to bring the system up to full staff, which is 17 full- and part-time employees.
Boles said he's confident the board can find a qualified director candidate despite the ongoing controversy. “I still think there are people out there with good hearts who want to serve,” he said.
More: Prattville library changes hours after being told of threat to funding
Meanwhile, the city council isn’t expected to make its appointment to the open slot any time soon.
“I don’t know of anyone out there who could serve and make a substantial impact,” said Council President Lora Lee Boone. “I don’t know of anyone who could act as a magic bullet and be a solution. I think the best thing we can do is observe and see what develops.”
Local attorneys say Foster's firing is likely could lead to a lawsuit, but even then the court’s ability to grant a remedy is limited.
How it started
The controversy began when dueling groups addressed the Prattville City Council and Autauga County Commission in May over the subject matter of some books in the children's section
One group was opposed to books it said contained sexually suggestive language and references to LGBTQ subject matter. The books should be moved to the adult section, that group said. The other group wanted no restrictions on books in the children’s section, relying on parents to determine what their children should and should not read.
The controversy came to a head in late 2023 when board of trustees members resigned en masse after the county commission appointed trustees to open slots without first consulting the existing trustees. That led to an entirely new board.
More: How an LGBTQ library book ban galvanized a small Alabama community
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Unraveling the tangled Autauga-Prattville library controversy
