Evanston Librarian Faces Firing Over Facebook Post

EVANSTON, IL — The Evanston Public Library will hold a hearing Friday to decide whether to terminate a long-time librarian over a social media posting that questioned the library's commitment to diversity.

Librarian Lesley Williams was suspended without pay for 15 days earlier this year for still-undisclosed disciplinary matters. She said she filed an appeal to that suspension and had been due to meet with representatives of the city manager's office and human resources next Monday.

Instead, she learned on Tuesday she would be facing a termination hearing before the end of the week.

"I was disappointed but not surprised," Williams said. "It's just really disappointing that the current administration and board seem to be so vindictive, to scapegoat and persecute someone for just trying to do their job." (For breaking news alerts and free daily newsletters, sign up for the Evanston Patch or find your community.)

There is a larger issue at hand than whether or not she will keep her job of 17 years, according to Williams. It concerns what kind of a library Evanston wants to have and what kind of a community Evanston wants to be.

"If people are willing to let this get all swept under the rug, then we will get the kind of equity that we deserve," she said. "But I think if people in Evanston are truly concerned with and committed to whether Evanston's resources—particularly library resources—are being administered and shared equitably, then this will just be the beginning. "

Williams and her supporters believe the library's director, Karen Danczak Lyons, and some members of the board have been seeking to get her fired for years. She has felt as if she "had a target" on her back since she was blamed for the backlash over the 2014 quasi-cancellation of a program by local Palestinian-American author Ali Abuminah, Williams said.

Although Danczak Lyons has not spoken publicly on the matter, emails obtained by Patch indicate that in March 2017 (prior to the start of any of the recent disciplinary action against Williams) at least one member of the board and Danczak Lyons viewed her as "clearly the thorn in our sides."

"But at this point, unless she really oversteps her role, we are stuck," wrote board member Margaret Lurie. Danczak Lyons agreed.

» Related: Evanston Librarian Suspended 15 Days After Board Backs Director

Officially, Williams has been accused of violating the City of Evanston's personnel manual and information technology code by posting the following image and message on Facebook, although she has made similar posts about the city in the past on her personal social media accounts without any complaints, she said.

Williams, Evanston's only black librarian, is active in a variety of progressive political causes. She is co-chair of the Chicago chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace's Network against Islamophobia; she has served on the boards of Evanston United Way and Interfaith Action of Evanston. She is also a member of the Open Communities Evanston Justice team and a founding member of the social justice-focused Jewish congregation Tzedek Chicago.

The statement of charges against Williams said she "continued to engage in behavior which has created an unhealthy work environment for your co-workers" and violated the city's information technology use policy. One co-worker was "demoralized and demeaned" and considered the post a personal attack.

Evanston city policy restricts the use of personal social media accounts, banning "defamatory or derogatory postings" and requiring profiles and posts "must not serve to defame or damage the reputation" of municipal departments or fellow employees, according to the notice Danczak Lyons sent Tuesday and shared by Williams Thursday.

Danczak Lyons has not responded to repeated emails and phone calls seeking comment about Evanston Public Library policy and practices.

Top photo: (From left) Rev. Michael Nabors, Lesley Williams, April 20 (Courtesy: Heidi Levin)