Campbell County library board receives criticism and support after $700K settlement

GILLETTE — Residents of Campbell County showed up to Monday’s regular meeting of the Campbell County Public Library Board to voice their opinions on the recent settlement between the county and former library director Terri Lesley. 

While the board members themselves made no comments on the settlement, the meeting's attendees used the public comment period to support and criticize the board. 

The $700,000 settlement brought an end to one of two lawsuits Lesley had filed for the circumstances leading up to her firing in 2023. As part of the settlement, Lesley withdrew her lawsuit.

A settlement is not an admission of guilt. 

County officials said that their insurance carrier, Traveler’s Insurance, made the decision to settle the case, with the company paying the lion’s share of the settlement with the exception of a $25,000 deductible, although no statement has been provided on whether the incident will raise the county's insurance rates.

“You acted irresponsible, even though you were told what you were doing was going to end up in court,” said former YES House Director Sheri England. “You do not have the right to censor books. Parents are capable of helping their own kids choose which books to read. This was government overreach. Let parents exercise their rights. I would suggest that you the board be inclusive and diverse and represent our entire community and not just a very narrow section.”

At the beginning of her public comment, England made clear that her criticisms were directed at the board specifically, making a note of the hard work of the library staff.

“Our library is amazing, our staff and our director are what makes it so amazing,” she said. “Thank you.”

Other audience members expressed their support for the board despite the settlement, with Dean Vomhof going as far as saying the board’s actions may have been worth the steep bill.

"I want to thank you...I think you guys are doing an excellent job," Vomhof said. "You had a tough decision to make, and, yeah, it costs $700,000, but it's a lot better of a situation now. It's a lot better for the kids, and I appreciate you folks stepping up making those decisions, regardless of what it costs. It's a lot better for the children, and that's what it's all about. So thank you very much."

Wanda Lieneman also spoke in support of the board during the public comment, stating that over the course of the scandal the library had lost its focus on children.

“When these books came in, they came in as a detrimental thing to our children,” Lieneman said. “I think, through the course of all this that took place, we lost the concept to our children… I admire you guys for standing up for this. Thank you very, very, very much and I hope that now we can start looking back to children. We can put the focus where it needs to be.”

This story was published on Oct. 29, 2025.