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Granbury ISD censures board member for library incident
The Granbury school board reprimanded one of its own for violating district policy and going through a school library without permission. She told a packed school board meeting she did nothing wrong.
GRANBURY, Texas - School board members in Granbury ISD, 40 miles southwest of Fort Worth, called a special meeting to consider disciplining a board member.
According to an investigation the district launched, Trustee Karen Lowery is accused of violating district policy during a visit to a school library earlier this month.
The Granbury ISD meeting focused on Lowery’s actions, her stand on books that may have inappropriate sexual content or LGBTQ books and accusations she entered the high school library against district policy.
In a Wednesday meeting, a report from a third party reviewing the evidence of the alleged incident was presented.
The district commissioned it outside the general council to compile the investigation report.
The attorney presented the report, saying Lowery entered the school library and was there for over an hour in the dark with another woman, saying they took an indirect route to get there.
The lawyer says trustees don’t have access to roam campus without supervision. That's when the assistant principal found them. Lowery replied the superintendent sent her there.
All Fort Worth ISD school libraries closed while district reexamines books on shelves
Fort Worth ISD says the person in charge of the catalog at its school libraries is now in a different role. All of the libraries are shut down right now while the district does a full assessment of the books on their shelves. It comes after three books had to be removed before the school year started.
The report presented says the superintendent did not send Lowery there and that a trustee must make an appointment with a school's principal for a campus visit.
Lowery addressed the meeting Wednesday and defended her actions, saying she did nothing wrong and that she ran for the school board to "protect students from sexually explicit and age-inappropriate materials" and won a "decisive victory."
The trustee spoke at the meeting, saying she followed district policy and called the office at the school to announce she was visiting and that she brought a parent with her.
"I wore my badge as directed by policy. Neither of us stated we were going anywhere but the library," she said. "We left the office and walked to the library. We walked casually. No sneaking or peaking around the corner."
Last year, the Granbury superintendent ordered librarians to remove LGBTQ books from the shelves.
"You’ve overstepped your bounds," said speaker Bret Deeson. "It’s not your job to go to the library and go through books. It’s your job to set policy, not take action like this on your own."
"Trustee Lowery, my wife, has done nothing wrong," said her husband, Mark Lowery. "Policy BBE, board members’ authority and visit to district facilities clearly allows a visit as Karen did."
Most speakers Wednesday evening spoke against Lowery, and multiple people who spoke asked her to resign.
Public comment is expected well into the night.
The board has not taken up possible discipline yet but will discuss it in an open session and not behind closed doors.
The board could take a vote on whether to censure Trustee Lawery.