Llano County, former librarian Suzette Baker reach settlement in wrongful termination suit

Llano County has agreed to settle a lawsuit over its firing of librarian Suzette Baker amid a pressure campaign to remove several books from its public libraries, according to a Thursday court filing.

While the county and Baker have tentatively agreed to the “material terms” of the settlement, details will not be made public until they are finalized, Baker’s attorney told the American-Statesman.

“We are pleased that defendants were willing to resolve this matter relatively early on in the litigation,” said attorney Iris Halpern of Rathod Mohamedbhai, a firm based in Colorado, in response to an inquiry from the Statesman.

The tentative agreement signals the end of a yearlong legal battle in U.S. District Court between Baker and Llano County officials, whom she accused of firing her in 2022 because she refused to pull library materials that a group of conservative activists had deemed inappropriate for children, some of which focused on race and LGBTQ+ experiences.

The county eventually removed 17 books, ranging from the children’s book “I Broke My Butt!” to the nonfiction work “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent.” Outside of Baker’s lawsuit, the county is still facing a federal First Amendment lawsuit over the book removals. The book removal campaign and resulting litigation have drawn national attention to Llano, a rural Texas community in the Hill Country about 80 miles northwest of Austin.

The settlement announcement comes a day before a documentary film about Baker’s story will be featured at the South by Southwest festival. Showings will be held Saturday and Sunday in Austin.

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