Jackson County Library Director placed on leave Amidst Controversy Over Incident Response
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The Jackson County Library District board unanimously voted on Monday,January 5,2026,to place Library Director Kari May on a two-week paid administrative leave,following mounting concerns over the district’s handling of a disturbing incident at the Talent library in December. the decision comes after a two-and-a-half-hour meeting attended by dozens of community members and district employees, both in person at the Medford library and via Zoom.
Incident Details and Initial Response
The controversy centers around a man reported to have been viewing videos and photos of naked children on library computers on three separate occasions – December 11, 13, and 15 – at the Talent library branch. The incident first came to light on December 20, when Talent library staff alerted the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The man was subsequently arrested and charged with multiple counts of possessing and distributing child pornography. The initial response from the library district, a one-week suspension of public computer access at the Talent branch, has been widely criticized as insufficient by parents and community members.
The Jackson county Sheriff’s Office is continuing its examination, and the Jackson County District Attorney’s office is also involved.
Divided Feedback and Board Action
Monday’s meeting saw a range of perspectives from both employees and community members. While some voiced support for May’s leadership, others expressed concerns about a potential “retaliatory culture” within the district and alleged mismanagement. A significant portion of the feedback focused on the perceived inadequacy of the initial response to the Talent library incident.
Ellie Anderson, head of adult services for the Ashland library branch, shared her experience navigating similar situations over two decades in the library system. “People who work here are clear that pornography and other content of that kind online is not appropriate for the library,” Anderson stated, suggesting the talent library incident may have been exacerbated by the rapid unfolding of events and the emotional response of staff. She urged the board to proceed with caution and allow for “growth and change and learning from mistakes.”
Kaphammer, attending via Zoom, expressed gratitude for the community’s support and emphasized the seriousness of the situation. “What happened was wrong and was poorly handled,” he said, adding that he was “grateful that the board is taking this more seriously than the director and two of the supervisors.” He encouraged families to continue utilizing district libraries, emphasizing that “JCLS is still a place where you can connect to ideas, information and each other.”
Concerns Over Edited Reports and Workplace Culture
A Talent library employee, identifying herself only as “E,” revealed that her incident report regarding the December 15 incident had been “heavily edited” by district officials. The employee, a six-year veteran of the branch, also spoke of ongoing personnel issues, including alleged inappropriate comments about employees’ appearances and verbal attacks. She argued that the December 15 incident “could have been prevented” with more effective management following the initial incident on December 11, and characterized the initial one-week suspension as a “blatant disregard and disrespect for the families and children who were exposed.”
Board Deliberations and Next Steps
Following an executive session, board member Kevin Keating acknowledged the board’s internal conflict. “I’m pretty torn on this. I thought that we had a … mandate to do the right thing in this case,” Keating said, but also noted the need for “proper legal advice.” The board encouraged employees and patrons to share their concerns via email, while also acknowledging that these communications may be subject to public records requests. Board member Marta Tarantsey suggested that those wishing to maintain confidentiality could contact the board verbally, particularly given recent employee unionization efforts.
Board President Susan Kiefer stated she would not accept anonymous emails as evidence and indicated that a broader investigation beyond the Talent library incident would require further preparation prior to the next board meeting on January 21.
Despite repeated requests from the Rogue Valley Times, district officials have not released Kari May’s employment contract. However, June 18 board meeting minutes indicate her current annual salary is $189,978. May was initially hired in August 2018 with a salary of $125,000, and her contract stipulates that she would receive nine months of salary if terminated without cause, based on her tenure.
The Jackson County Library District board will reconvene on January 21 to further discuss the matter and determine the next steps in addressing the concerns raised by employees and the community.
