Group responds to former library director’s suit
Posted/updated on: April 16, 2026 at 3:10 am
TYLER — What began as public backlash over library leadership has now escalated into a federal lawsuit, with former director Ashley Taylor accusing the City of Tyler of violating her constitutional rights and bowing to outside political influence. In the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas last week, Taylor claims she was retaliated against for protected speech and targeted by false attacks from an outside advocacy group. She argues city officials violated her First Amendment rights and allowed Grassroots America – We the People (GRA) to interfere with her employment through what she describes as defamatory public campaigns.
Taylor alleges in the lawsuit the following legal violations: first amendment retaliation, viewpoint discrimination, tortious interference with existing employment relationship.
Count 1: First Amendment Retaliation
The complaint alleges that as director, Taylor’s work involved protected expressive activity such as curation, programming and signage. Yet, the lawsuit claims the GRA launched a multi-year pressure campaign against the library and Taylor.
“Beginning in or around December 2021, the Tyler Public Library became the target of a sustained political harassment campaign orchestrated by GRA […] This campaign included online attacks against library staff, disruption of Library Board meetings, media campaigns, and repeated demands for the removal of library materials. Library staff were harassed, and Plaintiff was personally targeted.”
Ashely Taylor v. City of Tyler, Texas: Stephanie Franklin, Stuart Hene, Grassroots America – We the People
In September 2025, a staff member at the library placed a display sign that read “A truly great library has something in it to offende everyone,” a quote by librarian and author Jo Godwin.
After the GRA posted a photo of the library sign on social media, the lawsuit claims Hene reprimanded her in the library in front of coworkers and the public.
“He pointed at the sign as it was being removed, demanded to know “what is that?!”, declared he had been “defending” the library and “now this!”, and proceeded to berate and chastise [Taylor] in a loud and aggressive manner. He ordered that the sign be removed immediately and never placed outside again.”
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Days later, Taylor was told she must accept a demotion or be fired, with the City explicitly telling her it was tied to political fallout from the sign incident. When accepting the demotion, she was told she would be reduced to a generic “librarian position” with no explanation of her new duties.
She was then placed on leave and ultimately terminated “based on a new, manufactured pretext.”
Count 2: Viewpoint Discrimination
The complaint alleges that the City punished Taylor because of the viewpoint expressed in library materials and signage. Viewpoint discrimination occurs when the government targets not the subject matter of speech but the particular view expressed.
In this, Taylor alleges that:
Hene demanded the sign be removed due to its message.
Stephanie Franklin, Deputy City Manager, reportedly criticized Taylor for not being “more tolerant of conservative/religious differences.”
The City demoted her appease conservative political actors as her demotionw as tied to political pressue from a conservative advocacy organization.
The lawsuit argues that suppressing or punishing speech because of its viewpoint is unconstitutional.
Count 3: Tortious Interference with Existing Employment Relationship
In this count, the lawsuit argues that the GRA has coordinated public and private campaigns targeting the Tyler Public Library, its programming and leadership, including Taylor, since at least December 2021.
“GRA’s post stated that the Tyler Mayor and Council were ‘STILL proud of exposing taxpayer-funded smut to minor children,’ a false and defamatory characterization,” the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit says the constitutional right to petition the government does not immunize a private group from tortious interference liability when they have published a false statement of fact about a public employee.
Influential Republican leaders also reportedly personally contacted Hene to pressure him to act and remove the sign.
These actions reportedly became the “proximate trigger” that set Taylor’s demotion and later termination.
Lawsuit Seeks Lost Wages, Emotional?Distress Compensation and Punitive Damages
Taylor is seeking back pay for lost wages and employment benefits from the date of her demotion through the date of judgment, as well as front pay representing the present value of future wages and benefits she claims she would have earned absent the alleged unlawful conduct.
She is also requesting compensatory damages for emotional distress, humiliation, and harm to her professional reputation, along with punitive damages against Hene in his individual capacity and against GRA.
Statements from Defendants:
“Grassroots America – We The People has been named as a defendant in the lawsuit filed by Ashley Taylor on or about April 8, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. However, the organization has not yet been served with the complaint. These claims are completely frivolous and without any legal or factual merit.
As Grassroots America – We The People has maintained, this whole debacle is a function of the Mayor and City Council’s refusal to place the requested policy changes on their agenda for public discussion and a vote. Their failure to act has instigated this problem. Grassroots America – We The People is a volunteer driven organization dedicated to advancing conservative principles and citizen engagement in the democratic process. It has done nothing more than exercise its First Amendment rights to free speech and petition the government—core protected activities that cannot form the basis of a civil rights violation.
We are confident that this baseless lawsuit will be dismissed at the earliest possible stage once the organization is properly served and appears in the case. We look forward to vigorously defending Grassroots America – We The People and securing a swift dismissal from this litigation so the organization can continue its important work without distraction.
Dhillon Law Group will be representing Grassroots America – We The People in this matter.”
KETK News contacted the City of Tyler, which stated that it does not comment on ongoing litigation.
Grassroots America indicated that it will issue a statement once its attorney has had a chance to review the situation. Additionally, KETK News has reached out to Hene’s office for comment.
