Legal fight over Gillette librarian’s firing expands as Wyoming lawmakers weigh action

A former library official is pushing back against the political forces that ended her decades-long career in the Campbell County Public Library system, bringing her second of two federal lawsuits this month, accusing local government and an activist family of discrimination and wrongful termination.

The Campbell County Public Library System Board of Trustees fired Terri Lesley from her job in July 2023, after the director of the county library system resisted calls to censure books dealing with questions of sexuality among teens and young adults, particularly LGBTQ+ youth.

Two months after her firing, Lesley sued members of a family, the Bennetts, who had prominently advocated for her removal as library director. This week, she brought a new federal lawsuit against the county, its board of commissioners, the library board and individual members of both government boards. The new suit accuses local officials of violating the First Amendment’s right to free speech and firing Lesley in a retaliatory and discriminatory way.

Sage Bear, who sits on the library board and is the wife of House Appropriations Chairman and Wyoming Freedom Caucus leader John Bear, is one of the defendants. Lesley’s lawsuit alleges Sage Bear played a key role in driving the librarian from her job.

By text message, Rep. Bear said he believed his wife had been counseled not to comment by her attorneys. WyoFile reached out to the private attorneys on both sides of Lesley’s lawsuits, including her Denver-based law firm, but did not receive responses by day’s end Wednesday.

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