ACLU of Arkansas secures $275K settlement for librarian who opposed censorship

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas has secured a settlement on behalf of former Saline County Library Director Patty Hector, resolving a federal lawsuit alleging she was unlawfully fired in retaliation for speaking out against censorship and defending the public’s right to read.

Under the settlement, Saline County has agreed to pay Hector $225,000 in damages and to pay an additional $50,000 in attorney’s fees.

The ACLU of Arkansas filed Hector v. Brumley against Saline County and Saline County Judge Matthew Brumley after Brumley fired Hector in October 2023. The lawsuit alleged that Hector’s termination violated her First Amendment rights and came after she publicly opposed efforts to remove books from the children’s section of the Saline County Library.

Hector, a professional librarian with decades of experience, had spoken publicly against censorship efforts and continued to follow professional library standards despite political pressure over library materials. After the Saline County Library Board declined to fire Hector, the Saline County Quorum Court passed an ordinance transferring authority over library personnel to the county judge. Brumley subsequently fired Hector.

“Standing up for the freedom to read cost me a job and a career I loved, but I never believed that staying silent was the answer,” Hector said. “Libraries belong to everyone, and librarians should be able to serve their communities according to professional standards without fearing political retaliation. I hope this settlement sends a message to librarians and other public servants across Arkansas that their voices and their constitutional rights matter.”

The lawsuit argued that public employees do not surrender their First Amendment rights when they enter public service and that government officials cannot retaliate against employees for protected speech on matters of public concern.

“Patty Hector stood up for the idea that censorship is wrong and that libraries serve all members of their communities, not politicians, said John Williams, legal director of the ACLU of Arkansas. “For that, she paid an enormous personal price. This settlement provides meaningful relief for Patty. It should also serve as a warning. Public employees have constitutional rights, and political disagreement is not a license to punish them for protected speech. We will defend intellectual freedom and will defend librarians from attack.

“Saline County in particular should take notice. The County is currently asking its voters to slash approximately $1.7 million from its library’s budget. Any librarian who opposes this cut should feel free, like Patty, to speak out against it in their personal capacity. And the ACLU of Arkansas will defend any librarian whom Saline County tries to punish for their speech on this topic.”

The dispute unfolded amid a broader wave of attempts to restrict access to library materials in Arkansas and across the country, with books by and about LGBTQ people, people of color, and other minority communities frequently among those targeted.

“Censorship is the real threat — not ideas or books,” said Holly Dickson, executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas. “Patty’s courage reminds us why the First Amendment matters most when speaking out carries a cost. No librarian, teacher, or other public servant should have to choose between their livelihood and defending the freedoms they are entrusted to uphold. We will keep working to ensure Arkansas’ libraries remain places of learning, discovery, and free expression — not political battlegrounds.”

The settlement resolves Hector’s claims against Saline County and Brumley.