Lawsuit filed against Crawford County by former library system director

Former Crawford County Library Director Deidre Gryzmala is suing Crawford County and Quorum Court member Tammy Hamby alleging defamation of character and breach of contract. The filing seeks a jury trial.

Under pressure from those opposing LBGTQ+ books, Gryzmala resigned as the library system director in February 2023 with a $40,687.50 severance deal. The deal included a separation agreement with a non-disparagement clause

“The clause required both Deidre and the County to refrain from ‘criticizing, denigrating, or disparaging each other.’ My Client has abided by this Clause, unfortunately the County has not,” Christopher Hooks, an attorney with Robertson, Beasley, Shipley & Robinson, noted in an April 23 letter to Crawford County Judge Chris Keith.

The case, filed May 30 in the Washington County Circuit Court by Hooks, outlines several instances in which Hamby and other quorum court members sought to blame lawsuits and the cost of the lawsuits on Gryzmala, allegedly made false claims about comments and actions that resulted in the lawsuits. (Link here for a PDF of the filed lawsuit.)

“(T)he Plaintiff (Gryzmala) has suffered embarrassment, humiliation, and mental anguish as a result of the false and defamatory statements by the Defendants,” Hooks noted in the filing. “Punitive damages would punish the Defendants for their wrongful conduct and deter other persons from engaging in the same conduct.”

Hooks told Talk Business & Politics in early May that Gryzmala may seek $100,000 to settle the case. The lawsuit filed May 30 does not mention a specific monetary request.

ISSUE HISTORY
Hamby and her husband Dr. Jeffrey Hamby, a Van Buren family physician, worked in November 2022 with the River Valley City Elders to lead a campaign against LBGQT+ books then available through the library system. Tammy Hamby, an elected member of the Crawford County Quorum Court, would be appointed to the Crawford County Library Board by Keith and named the board chair, a position she held for a year.

The county lost a lawsuit, filed in May 2023 by attorney Brian Meadors, that claimed the board’s actions to relocate or remove books was unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes III in September 2024 ruled against Crawford County and said the books in question are to be returned to their original locations in the county’s libraries.

The county would also lose a federal lawsuit in December 2024 in which U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks ruled Act 372 unconstitutional. The Act sought to give library officials a process to ban or otherwise censor books. Crawford County was listed as a defendant in the case.

As of August 2024, Crawford County had spent at least $426,000 on legal fees and severance pay to defend against lawsuits that emerged after Hamby and others sought to relocate or remove certain books. (Talk Business & Politics has sought an estimate from the county about the amount of county and library system funds that have been used in legal actions related to the library system. We will update this story when that information is provided.)

Judge Chris Keith has repeatedly declined comment on any question related to issues between the quorum court and library system. The county’s attorney, Gentry Wahlmeier said the county does not comment on pending litigation.