Column: Corpus Christi Library Board Restructuring, A Step Toward Fascism?
By Eli McKay
A conservative nonprofit that takes credit for ending sex education classes in Corpus Christi public schools is also taking credit for the appointment of five new members to the city’s Library Board.
“The Citizens Defending Freedom (CDF) legal team played a crucial role in circulating key facts about the perceived extremist agenda of the American Library Association and its influence on Corpus Christi libraries,” states a blog post by the Nueces County chapter of the CDF. “This information was utilized by Nueces County leadership to educate citizens and public officials on what they perceived as the dangers of an extreme liberal agenda in public libraries, particularly concerning its impact on children.”
In November 2023, five Corpus Christi City Council members – Dan Suckley, Mike Pusley, Michael Hunter, Gil Hernandez and Everett Roy – appointed five new conservative library board members instead of reappointing three seasoned incumbents.
Hernandez and Roy were both reelected in the ’24 general election. The city council, with four newly elected council members, is expected to make four appointments to the library board on Tuesday, January 28, 2025.
These five council members changed the trajectory of the Corpus Christi Library Board by not reappointing three people – Dr. Vickie Natalie, Candy Hart and Pooja Bendignavle – to their previously held positions. Natalie and Hart were expected to hold the board’s chair and vice chair positions. Natalie holds a doctorate in higher education administration; Hart is a retired high school librarian; and Bendignavle, who earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry, is a mother of five children who serves on three different PTAs.
In the past, it has been a norm for the council to approve reappointments with seasoned applicants who are well qualified and seeking reappointment. This norm was shattered, leaving the applicants and the general public wondering why.
“Historically, the city council has reappointed sitting board members who are still interested in serving and who have a good attendance record, so I and two other current members who were applying for reappointment had thought our seats were secure,” recently-ousted library board member Dr. Vickie Natalie told Chisme Collective. “After all, we were deemed as well-qualified candidates the first and second times we were appointed to the board.”
Natalie was shocked by the appointments eschewing the three more seasoned members with two-to-four years of experience serving, she said. Natalie criticized one of the new applicants' responses and shamed the council members who voted in favor of the new appointments.
"She gave no information on her qualifications, and said nothing about her education, experience, or volunteer activity," Natalie said. "I am disappointed with the council members who would determine that such an applicant would be judged as more qualified than any of the three of us who were applying for reappointment that year.”
Since the new board was sworn in, the meetings have been packed with citizens with varying opinions on what the board's priorities should look like. A review of public comments from these meetings showed an outpouring of support for local libraries to combat attempts at censorship from local groups, including the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education (TABPHE) and the Coastal Bend Pride Center.
There were also many public comments from Christian Nationalist community members affiliated with the known antigovernment group Citizens Defending Freedom, a local group with values similar to the Oath Keepers or Moms for Liberty.
The Far Right, Out of Left Field
Pat Craig (District 5) is a self-employed “volunteer.” She holds a bachelor’s in astronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy. She said she was interested in serving on the board because “libraries provide a wonderful place for all ages to read, research, and relax, and my intentions are to help maintain that atmosphere.”
Carrie Moore (District 2) stated on her application that she was the Education Division Leader for Citizens Defending Freedom, and the location of her job is at the address of Rock City Church in Flour Bluff. Upon applying, she said, “I believe it is important to have city boards, commissions and committees that represent many different perspectives, and I believe I can offer the perspective of someone who researches school libraries and curriculum as a career to the discussion.”
Melinda De Los Santos (District 2) is a retired physical therapist who served on the board for the Election Integrity Project of Nueces County. In her application, she said “I have a keen interest in the growth of my community to enable it to strive in the challenging obstacles of today in order to provide a better tomorrow for future generations.” The Election Integrity Project partnered with Nueces County Citizens Defending Freedom in 2022.
Joan Carillo (District 3) is a retired elementary school teacher and member of Citizens Defending Freedom. She wants to “promote the education and welfare of citizens, especially youth and children.” Her husband, Alberto Carillo, was a candidate for City Council District 3 in the ’24 election. In addition to the library, they have publicly opposed the COVID-19 vaccine at city council meetings.
Dolores Rabon (District 4) listed herself as retired but provided no previous work experience or resume. When asked why she wanted to serve on the board, she stated: “I am a concerned citizen.”
A Full Year of Flawed Focus
The year began with a series of meetings during which the board got its “feet wet” by hearing city staff explain their role as advisory committee members. In coordination with Citizens Defending Freedom, the newly appointed members soon turned their focus to sex education and LGBTQIA+ books available in Corpus Christi’s public libraries.
A local man who is an outspoken right-wing conspiracy theorist, Shawn Flannigan, requested the removal of a sex education book called “Doing It Right” by Bronwen Pardes. This request went before the board, and they recommended that the staff move the book from the Young Adult (YA) to the Adult section.
In June, the library board voted to form a subcommittee to review the collections development policy. The library board last reviewed the policy in August 2023, and it is not required to be reviewed again until August 2025.
Throughout the next few meetings, public comments questioned whether the committee had been established to try to remove language concerning diversity, equity and inclusion in the Collections Development Policy.
Jaz Evans, a community organizer with Texas Rising who has attended the majority of the Library Board meetings, said while there are endless priorities the board could focus on, such as finding funding for necessary programs and services while under the strain of a reduced budget, they have remained stuck in a yearlong conversation on censorship and restricting individual freedoms.
“(The board) proposed removal of language supporting the First Amendment and limiting access to LGBTQ+ stories and sexual health information at a time when literacy rates are a major concern. There are better ways the board could use their time to support the staff’s goals for the library and the community,” Evans said.
Public comment moved into city council chambers during the regular July meetings. Community members spoke out to keep the collections development policy intact and disband the subcommittee.
New members undeterred, focused on DEI
One policy point that Citizens Defending Freedom and the new board were concerned about was the underlined part of the “Commitment” portion of the policy: “Corpus Christi Public Library (CCPL) prioritizes a commitment to equity, ensuring that all members of the Corpus Christi community have equitable access to library services and programs. Diversity and inclusion are about respecting, understanding, honoring and welcoming all members of the staff and community into the library.”
Libraries are needed now more than ever, as folks from vulnerable communities are being targeted steadily, and sometimes legally, every day. Those in leadership positions must think critically and see beyond words that may confuse or trigger them. Equity will enhance conditions for a disadvantaged group while diversity recognizes, values and embraces the uniqueness of each individual. Inclusion creates an environment where everyone is treated respectfully and has equal access to resources and opportunities.
On Aug. 9, the board voted not to change the collection development policy and unanimously disbanded the subcommittee.
Despite improved attendance and community participation at the meetings, the board’s focus on matters outside of moving books or changing language in policy has been minimal. In the ’24-’25 city budget, there were reductions in library hours, resulting in less staffing. In the September meeting, the item around the Collections Development Policy was not only back on the agenda, but also included suggested changes that board members Carillo and De Los Santos submitted. City staff from the legal and library departments were tasked with wading through the proposed changes.
The conversation and debate continued through the October, November and December meetings, with no changes implemented. The policy has not changed, and the conversation likely will continue in 2025. La Retama Library underwent significant changes when it was closed from Nov. 22 to Dec. 3, 2024, for floor and ceiling construction; at this time, the Young Adult (YA) section was restructured, and a Teen section was created.
The upcoming repairs were announced at the Nov. 12 Library Board meeting during the director’s report. Staff said to address the concern regarding material in the YA section; they were considering adding a Teen section for those aged 13-17 and keeping YA as-is. According to library director Laura Garcia, the changes require time so library workers can shift and relabel items.
The restructuring, which had already begun when La Retama reopened, surprised some community members. Julie Rogers, who served six years on the Library Board and termed out in 2023, said, “Once a library system starts relocating, reassigning and/or rating books, they’ve started slowly boiling the frog in the water. More changes will come because a small vocal minority will continue to demand them. The changes will be gradual or unassuming, so people don’t notice or know until it’s too late. That’s why it’s so important to attend the Advisory Library Board meetings and monitor their activity, as well as using and visiting our public libraries. And that small vocal minority – they will never be placated until public libraries as we know them or either redefined or gone. They are already demanding books be moved from YA to Adult."
At this time, the restructuring of the YA section and the creation of the Teen section have only occurred at La Retama. Since it happened so quickly without any allotted funding or notice to the public at La Retama, this could become protocol at other locations.
Advisory Library Board appointments will be made at the next City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. Four members of the library board are seeking reappointment: Alice Upshaw Hawkins, Dora Wilburn, Carol Matthews and Jennifer Anderson.