Governor appoints ex-school board member recalled over book ban push to Nebraska’s library board

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Republican Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has appointed a new member to the Nebraska Library Commission — a former local school board member removed from office after trying to ban more than 50 books.

Terri Cunningham-Swanson will serve on the board responsible for promoting, developing and coordinating library services in Nebraska, the Lincoln Journal Star reported Friday. The three-year term ends in June 2027, according to the commission’s website. Cunningham-Swanson will be among six members on the commission.

A message seeking comment from Pillen’s office wasn’t immediately returned.

Cunningham-Swanson was elected to the Plattsmouth Community Board of Education in 2023 and immediately sought to ban 52 books from the school library. The listed included novels such as “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Where the Crawdads Sing,” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” and books by Colleen Hoover and Ellen Hopkins. Many of the books on the list involved themes of addiction, race, sexuality and other topics that have recently created debates over book bans.

High school students in Plattsmouth walked out in protest and the high school librarian resigned in response to the ban effort. The Plattsmouth school board convened a committee to review the books and ultimately removed one — “Triangles,” by Ellen Hopkins. Others were placed in a restricted section.

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After one failed effort, voters in the district collected enough signatures last November for a ballot question of whether to recall Cunningham-Swanson. In January, 62% of voters voted to recall her.

“My goal has always been to do right by our students, our district and our community,” Cunningham-Swanson wrote to the Journal Star in an email at the time. “I can step away knowing that I have honored my commitment and honored God while doing so.”

Pillen’s appointment of Cunningham-Swanson angered some of those involved in the recall effort.

“Our community rejected Cunningham-Swanson’s extremism by an overwhelming margin in January,” Jayden Speed, who led the recall effort, posted on the social platform X. “Book bans have no place in Nebraska! We will continue the fight to keep it that way.”