GRANBURY, Texas — During a special school board meeting Wednesday night, the Granbury ISD board of trustees voted 5-2 to censure trustee Karen Lowery.
The decision to censure her came after Lowery was accused of visiting the Granbury High School library on Aug. 2 with another person to examine books on shelves, allegedly without permission.
The censure, an official reprimand, means the board found her to be in violation of board policy.
“This was a big push to try to get me to resign,” Lowery said.
During an exclusive interview with WFAA Thursday, Lowery said she refuses to resign.
“Censure means nothing,” Lowery said. “I was sitting there while they’re trying to decide whether or not to do it. If you’re gonna do it, somebody raise your hand and do it.”
Lowery sat in Wednesday night’s meeting as public comment and discussion went on for more than four hours.
Dozens of speakers called on her to resign.
“We felt like our trust has been violated,” one speaker said.
Another speaker said, “If Mrs. Lowery does not resign or is not reprimanded for her actions, I believe she is more dangerous than any book in our library.”
Lowery told WFAA she listened carefully, something she believed was necessary.
“I was listening. I believe everybody should have the opportunity to speak, no matter what side you happen to be on. Sometimes, it was a little bit difficult to listen to,” Lowery said. “They didn’t have the facts, and I think that bothered me more than anything.”
During Wednesday night’s meeting, Austin-based attorney Joey Moore presented information from a district report involving the allegations against Lowery.
According to the district report, board policy requires trustees to check in with principals and report to the main office for any campus visit. The district report says Lowery’s designated destination on the campus was the cafeteria, where she was signed up to volunteer with school supply distribution. Lowery never disclosed her visit to the library, according to the district report.
Lowery, however, said she called the principal to disclose her library visit beforehand, and that she disclosed she would visit the library at the front desk.
The district report said there was no evidence that Lowery disclosed her library visit to the principal.
“It’s their word against my word, and they voted to censure, and I'll take that and move on and continue on,” Lowery said. “I’m not going to resign over this. I still want to help the children in more ways than just the books.”
In a July audio recording obtained by WFAA, Lowery expressed concern over sexual content in library books.
“We have opened the door for the evil to come through," Lowery said during the recording.
The district removed several LGBTQ-themed books last spring. Lowery, however, has pressed on since then. The July recording indicates she had previous plans to inspect books on shelves for herself to check for inappropriate books.
"As a trustee, I can go into any library in any school at any time. Is that correct?” Lowery asked Superintendent Dr. Jeremy Glenn in the July recording.
Glenn responded, “Yes. You can go into a school at any time but clear with the principal. Call and make an appointment.”
The accusation that Lowery never got that appointment ultimately led to the censure.