Topeka attorney urges recall of library trustee, cites sexually explicit material for children
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Summary
At the July 24 Shawnee County work session, Topeka attorney and nurse Kathy Brown told commissioners that sexually explicit material is available to children in local libraries and urged recall of a recently appointed trustee; commissioners discussed possible options such as rating materials but took no formal action.
Kathy Brown, a Topeka attorney and nurse, told the Shawnee County Board of County Commissioners on July 24 that sexually explicit material is available to children in public libraries and urged the board to recall a recently appointed library trustee.
"I am here today, because this commission, has a capacity of appointing people, trustees, to our public library," Brown told commissioners during the public comment period. She said she and others have publicized illustrations and passages from children’s and juvenile books, identified one title as Lawn Boy, and read explicit excerpts aloud during prior meetings to illustrate her concern. Brown said she previously met with Commissioner Bill Rippon and with a trustee she named as Hannah Ulrich about the material and that Ulrich later resigned as treasurer.
Brown urged the commissioners to use the recall process in the Kansas constitution to remove trustees she said are enabling the presence of sexually explicit material for young children. Brown’s remarks included explicit language quoted from the book passages she referenced; the chair ended her remarks when the four-minute public-comment time limit expired.
Commissioner Bill Rippon, who earlier met with Brown, said afterward: "I'm not a book burner or a book banner but I don't see why we can't rate books like they do movies. You have a G rating, a PG. Why not rate some of these books so some of this stuff isn't available to young kids? That seems like a pretty easy fix to me." Rippon’s comments constituted a discussion point; the commission did not take formal action or direct staff to pursue a specific policy during the meeting.
The public comment and the brief commissioner exchange did not include references to specific county policies or changes to library governance enacted at the meeting. Brown asked the commissioners to consider recall procedures she said exist under the state constitution; commissioners made no motion in response and the meeting proceeded to administrative communications and adjournment.
