After months of deliberation about book rules, the Montgomery County Commissioners Court decided this week to fire Rhea Young, the county’s library director.
During an executive session at Tuesday’s commissioners court meeting, the decision to fire Young was made. After the meeting behind closed doors, commissioners named Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough as acting director of the library system.
In a social media postYoung stated on Thursday that she was pleased with the work she had done in her 28 months as the director of the library.
“We were more visible in the community and worked hard to build relationships with organizations throughout the county that would help us offer more opportunities for our patrons,” the woman wrote. “I am disappointed that my trip was cut short by a few irate employees who spread false information to a group that has targeted me since day one, but I am confident that this development can continue. I hope the library has the best possible future.
Commissioners for the county north of Houston gave Young and the public library system instructions in July 2023 to add more books with conservative themes on the shelves and to impose an age restriction on anything that might be interpreted as sexually explicit.
The county then established a citizen-led book review board in March 2024. However, concerns over whether non-Montgomery County citizens may submit a book for evaluation led county commissioners to start reevaluating the review board only a few months after it was established.
The review board faced criticism in October for incorrectly classifying a historical novel as fiction.
Houston Public Media reached out to Keough for comment on Friday, but Keough did not immediately reply.In a statement, he informed Community Impactin that he had started the process of finding a new director.
According to reports, Keough stated, “I was selected by the Commissioners Court yesterday to supervise the Memorial Library system. After speaking with the library director, I decided to fire her from Montgomery County. I believe that the library system’s future is crucial, therefore I will start looking throughout the country right away for a new director who shares the community’s values and complies with the Commissioners Court’s directives, which are made by the county’s residents.”
The commissioners court heard public comments from a number of community people prior to Tuesday’s executive session, and everyone mentioned the library and Young.
Michelle Knuckles, a resident of Montgomery County, expressed her worries about Young’s choices regarding certain of the library’s materials, even though she did not specifically demand that Young be fired.
“While I have had positive interactions with Miss Young, I am concerned about her leadership,” Knuckles stated. According to librarians, staff members who voice concerns are written up, and requests for books—particularly ones that are well-liked by homeschoolers—are turned down. There won’t be any more conservative librarians if things keep going the way they are, one librarian informed me.
Several Montgomery County residents, including Lisa Matthews, commented in favor of Young’s efforts as the library director.
Matthews remarked, “I think she has done a fine job,” “To be honest, I wasn’t really sure why this [agenda item] was even being discussed. She is trying to do a job for all of us in the county, and I appreciate that, so I hope you won’t base decisions on the political or ideological sentiments of one group and that they are upset that she isn’t doing things precisely the way they want them.”
Speaking to the court as well, resident Candance Godfrey expressed her gratitude for Young’s efforts at the library.
“I have an 11-year-old and a 15-year-old and during the summer we go once a week,” Godfrey stated. “I’m grateful that I may enter and that my children can discover many items there. Regardless of the genre, the librarians all appear to be exceedingly kind and eager to assist them in finding what they’re looking for. I sincerely hope that much of what is happening can be kept free of politics.
