Fremont County Library Director Publicly Scolded After Speaking Against Obscenity Bill

Fremont County’s library director was publicly scolded in a Thursday board meeting, after testifying against a proposed state law that seeks to criminalize offering obscene books and materials to kids in libraries. 

In response, she said she would clarify her position to state lawmakers and accept any official action against her as a learning experience.

Anita Marple spoke Monday against House Bill 194 before Wyoming’s House Judiciary Committee.

If it becomes law, HB 194 would criminalize exposing minors to obscenity, under a broader and less-flexible definition than Wyoming law already contains.

It would also change the law so that prosecutors could charge librarians and educators with crimes for exposing people to obscenity. They cannot do so now, if such people were acting within their jobs.

In the state Capitol on Monday, Marple identified herself as the director of the Fremont County Library System as she testified against the bill. She warned that it would overpower local anti-obscenity policies already in place across Wyoming, and said it could also spark “lawfare” by community members against librarians.

‘Insubordination’

Fremont County Library Board Vice-Chair Marta Mossburg was not impressed. During a regular board meeting Thursday, Mossburg pointed to language in the system’s bylaws saying the executive library director serves as the official library spokesman. 

“Was your testimony the official library position?” Mossburg asked. “Where did you say this was your personal opinion?”

Mossburg said she watched the video from the committee meeting three times and Marple “never once” made that distinction. 

The board later did not second or advance a motion by Mossburg asking them to censure her.

Board Treasurer Kristen McClelland – an outspoken critic of sexually-explicit books in the library’s youth sections – was also poised to testify to the committee, albeit via virtual link. But the committee did not get to her testimony, McClelland noted. 

Marple, who has resisted some calls to purge controversial books from the library’s youth section, said she alerted the board members the Saturday before the meeting that she was going to testify, and made the trip at her own expense.

Mossburg offered to read Marple’s testimony before the board. 

“I can read it myself,” Marple countered, and conceded that she did not distinguish that she was voicing her personal opinion. 

‘Gotten In Trouble’

Mossburg called the move hypocritical, noting that she and McClelland have “gotten in trouble” with the board for voicing their personal opinions to the Fremont County Commission at the height of the system’s sexually-explicit books controversy. 

Like McClelland, Mossburg is also a vocal critic of sexually-graphic books in the youth sections of the library.

For the Fremont County Library System, controversies over where officials’ free-speech rights end and their board business begins are recurring.  

Marple publicly chided McClelland last year, after McClelland wore a shirt in public that read “Get Your PORN At The Fremont County Library,” in protest of the sexually-graphic books.

McClelland “took responsibility” from the fallout over the shirt at the time, but noted that she also has strong personal opinions.   

‘Talked To The Press’

In Thursday’s meeting, Marple invited Mossburg to register an official complaint against her.

“Go right ahead,” said Marple. 

Mossburg said Marple has applied a permissive double standard to her own behavior.

“I think the hypocrisy here is outrageous –“ began Mossburg. 

“Really?” Marple said, with a note of irony. 

Marple countered, saying Mossburg had spoken with Cowboy State Daily in a past news story. 

Most frequently in library stories, however, Cowboy State Daily has quoted statements Mossburg made in the course of board meetings.

For a story last February, Mossburg responded to a Cowboy State Daily request for comment regarding a dispute between herself and another board member. The other board member was also invited to comment at that time but did not.

Mossburg has contributed guest columns to the outlet, exclusively on non-library-related topics.

Going Forward

Marple told Cowboy state Daily after the meeting that she would accept the consequences if the board decides she violated the bylaws.

“I’m teachable to that,” she said.

Marple said she chose to testify not to cause friction, but “as someone with a personal stake” in the bill’s fate and as someone who will be impacted by it directly.

She said she’ll be following up with the members of the House Judiciary Committee to clarify she was testifying on her own behalf.

Correction - An earlier version of this story said Marple was reprimanded, though she was merely scolded. And the board rejected Mossburg’s motion to censure her.

Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.