MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas — Montgomery County commissioners approved a $475,000 settlement Wednesday in a federal discrimination lawsuit filed by former county librarian Rhea Young, who alleged she was fired in retaliation for refusing to restrict access to books with LGBTQ+ themes.
Young, who led the county library system from 2022 until her termination in January 2025, sued the county in 2025, claiming commissioners removed her after she declined directives to segregate and limit certain library materials.
Under the settlement agreement, Young will receive $475,000, including $206,797 designated for attorney’s fees, according to a copy of the agreement reviewed by Houston Public Media.
Commissioners discussed the settlement in a closed-door session before taking a vote. Precinct 4 Commissioner Matt Gray cast the lone dissenting vote, defending the county’s decision to terminate Young.
“I oppose, and if it was up to me, we wouldn’t pay one damn dollar on it,” Gray said during the meeting. “This court took the correct position, and I stand by it.”
Young said Thursday she was relieved the case had been resolved but said she did not expect the settlement to change county policy.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think with the group of members on commissioners court right now, that it’ll make them think twice before they fire anybody,” she said.
At the time of her termination, County Judge Mark Keough was overseeing the library system in an acting capacity. He previously said the county sought a director who “shares the values of the community and respects the direction of commissioners court.”
County records show commissioners instructed library leadership in 2023 to add more conservative-leaning titles and to restrict access to materials considered sexually explicit to minors.
In 2024, the county created a citizen-led book review board, which later drew criticism over eligibility rules and classification errors involving library materials.
Young said she stood by her decisions as library director and defended the role of public libraries in providing broad access to information.
