Below you'll find sample texts for letters and phone calls you can make urging the LPL Board of Control stop all action regarding the employment status of librarian Cara Chance.
Cara is the librarian at the North Regional Library, part of the Lafayette Public Library system. Her direct supervisor is Director Danny Gillane, NOT the Board of Control. On July 25, Board President Robert Judge attempted to summarily fire Cara for speaking out against censorship, and for erecting a book display which featured LGBTQ books. Not only did his actions rob Cara of the right to due process, they were retaliatory in nature and designed to instill fear in any other librarians who might be thinking of following Cara's worthy example. It is our opinion that librarians such as Cara, who stand up for Free Speech and the integrity of libraries, are heroes. Please join us in urging the Board of Control to remove themselves from the matter of her employment.
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#KeepCara SAMPLE LETTER
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Email Address: LPLBoard@lafayettepubliclibrary.org
Dear Board Members,
I am writing to ask that you please end the Board of Control's involvement in Cara Chance's employment status. The Board's only direct employee is and should be the Director, who is tasked with overseeing all other library system employees, including Cara. As her direct supervisor, it is his duty to handle all matters related to her employment.
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In addition, as an LCG employee, Cara is entitled to the due process procedures afforded her by civil service rules, a right she has so far been denied by the board. With little notice and with no advance knowledge of the charges against her, she was brought before the board and given no chance to defend herself. Actions like these prove the board has no business managing the employment status of anyone.
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Censorship is a very serious issue. As librarians, people like Cara are trained to stand against censorship in any form. Cara has upheld that principle, and continues to do so--actions which should earn her commendation, not condemnation.
The LPL Board of Control has many serious issues before it - the budget, building a new library in the Northeast part of the parish, and repairs to aging infrastructure, among them. The obvious nature of this retaliatory action against Ms. Chance is yet another waste of the board members' precious time when there are so many more important tasks to focus on.
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Please leave the business of hiring and firing employees to the Director you entrusted with that job.
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Sincerely,
#KeepCara SAMPLE PHONE SCRIPT
Phone #: (337) 261-5781
My name is __________.
I'm calling to ask that the LPL Board of Control please end its involvement in librarian Cara Chance's employment status. The Board of Control has the authority to hire and fire only one employee - the Director. As an LCG employee, Cara has a right to civil service due process, and the matter of her employment should be handled by Director Gillane and LCG alone. Ms. Chance is an asset to the community and to the library system for her uncompromising stance against censorship in all its forms. She should be applauded for her defense of Free Speech, not retaliated against. The Board of Control should spend its valuable time doing the job it was given - handling budget issues, building a new library on the Northeast side of the parish, and caring for library infrastructure. They should not be in the business of hiring and firing librarians.
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Thank you for your time.
