Seeking help for legal fees and life.

My name is LaVonnia Moore. For the past 15 years, I have proudly served in public libraries and lived in Pierce County, Georgia. I’ve given my time, my heart, and my energy to the library and to the people who walked through its doors—day in and day out, through ups and downs, always with love.

That is, until June 18, 2025, when I was called in on my day off and fired.

Why? Because I approved a volunteer-made display for our summer reading program titled “Color Our World.” Families helped their children put together a display featuring books that celebrated the colors of life. The children wanted colorful books with rainbows. One of the titles they picked was When Aiden Became a Brother—an award-winning, age-appropriate story about love and acceptance in a family with a transgender child.

I didn’t create the display myself. I simply supported community involvement, just as I have for other volunteer-led displays. That’s what librarians do—we create space for everybody. Libraries are one of the very few public spaces left for everybody. We empower voices. We make room for the whole community. I did not tell the parents and children what they could or could not add to the display, just as I do not tell them what they can or cannot read. That is not how libraries—or democracies—work.

Nevertheless, members of a group called The Alliance for Faith and Family saw the display and saw it as an opportunity to promote their own divisive political agenda. They organized a campaign against me and pressured the new library head to fire me. Instead of investigating, talking to me or my team, or exploring any kind of fair process, they used the "at-will" clause in my contract to terminate me on the spot.

No warning.

No meeting.

No due diligence.

Just the words “poor decision making” on a piece of paper after 15 years of service.

I want the library community and volunteers to know that what has happened is not their fault. To everyone who lives in Pierce County: please be safe and true to yourself. Know that the public library should always be a place where you can feel welcome and enjoy your time.

That book still exists in the collection—because it belongs there. It reflects real families. Real kids. Real love. Although I did not choose the book myself, I stand ten toes down on this truth: The library is a public space. All community members should feel welcome inside it and have equal access to its resources.

I feel heartbroken. Not just because I lost a job—but because I lost it for doing what librarians are supposed to do: create a space for everyone. I stood by our mission. I followed policy. I led with love. And now I am out of work for it.

I am currently seeking legal support because my rights were violated, and I deserve justice for what was taken from me. This was not just a job; it was my calling. The actions of the group that targeted me and the decision of the regional system leadership were not in the best interests of the community, only themselves.

I want the world to know that this was not about a book, it was about bias. This was not about poor performance. It was about political pressure. It was not about leadership or decision-making. It was about bullies and cowardice. This was not right, and it cannot stand.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out. I still believe in libraries. I still believe in people. And I still believe in democracy. That is why I am speaking out. Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.

Sincerely,

LaVonnia Moore

Former Library Manager, Pierce County Public Library

Georgia Wildfire Relief