One of the things I love about living in Louisiana is the sense of community and strong shows of solidarity community members offer one another. That solidarity was on full display Monday night at the Lafayette Parish Library Board of Control meeting to decide on potential disciplinary action against North Regional Library Branch Manager Cara Chance. Chance, who’s been an outspoken critic of library censorship and champions access to LGBTQ books, was scheduled to have her “professional competence” and contract discussed by the Library Board of Control. Instead, the Board moved to push that agenda item to a private discussion at a meeting next month. Local news station KLFY cited the overwhelming support of Chance from community members and advocacy groups like Lafayette Citizens Against Censorship as being the reason the Board chose to table that agenda item until later.
“Cara is a beloved librarian, and she has made an impact not just within the library itself but with families, schoolchildren,” Lafayette Citizens Against Censorship Generations founder Lynette Mejía told KLFY, “of people have come through the doors of her library and enjoyed her programming, and they remember that.”
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Community members worried that Chance could still be fired next month and called for more support for Chance. “Show support for your local library system and please come out and speak your mind,” community member William Veillon told KLFY. “We need people here to tell this library board that they do not represent this community,”
Library Director Danny Gillane, whose contract was up for review and approved for another year, sent an email to board members asking that they delay their decision until he was back in town, according to the Daily Advertiser. At least two board members agreed with Gillane’s rationale, with one admitting they felt uncomfortable about potentially firing Chance given her lack of a prior disciplinary record. Chance’s lawyer has also pushed back against the board’s conduct. “The first time that Ms. Chance was ever informed of any alleged insubordination was right here in this room in front of everybody,” lawyer Robert Schmidt told the Daily Advertiser. “She was not given any sort of notice beforehand of the action that was being proposed or of what misconduct she was accused of engaging in.” No date or time has been set for the closed session to determine any disciplinary actions against Chance in August.
“Cara is a beloved librarian, and she has made an impact not just within the library itself but with families, schoolchildren,” Lafayette Citizens Against Censorship Generations founder Lynette Mejía told KLFY, “of people have come through the doors of her library and enjoyed her programming, and they remember that.”
Campaign Action
Community members worried that Chance could still be fired next month and called for more support for Chance. “Show support for your local library system and please come out and speak your mind,” community member William Veillon told KLFY. “We need people here to tell this library board that they do not represent this community,”
Library Director Danny Gillane, whose contract was up for review and approved for another year, sent an email to board members asking that they delay their decision until he was back in town, according to the Daily Advertiser. At least two board members agreed with Gillane’s rationale, with one admitting they felt uncomfortable about potentially firing Chance given her lack of a prior disciplinary record. Chance’s lawyer has also pushed back against the board’s conduct. “The first time that Ms. Chance was ever informed of any alleged insubordination was right here in this room in front of everybody,” lawyer Robert Schmidt told the Daily Advertiser. “She was not given any sort of notice beforehand of the action that was being proposed or of what misconduct she was accused of engaging in.” No date or time has been set for the closed session to determine any disciplinary actions against Chance in August.