FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — A former Wyoming library director who was fired amid an uproar over books with sexual content and LGBTQ+ themes that some people complained were inappropriate for youngsters and who sought their removal from youth shelves will be paid $700,000 after settling a lawsuit.
Terri Lesley was fired as the library system director in northeastern Wyoming's Campbell County in 2023, two years into the book dispute at the library in Gillette. Lesley sued last spring over her termination and reached the settlement with county officials Wednesday.
"I do feel vindicated. It’s been a rough road, but I will never regret standing up for the First Amendment,” Lesley said.
A major coal-mining area on the Western high plains, Campbell County is among the most conservative areas in one of the most conservative states.
Public officials there sided with the book objectors and violated Lesley's First Amendment rights, Lesley claimed in her federal lawsuit against Campbell County, including its commission and library board.
The county denied Lesley's claims. Only Lesley's performance — not the dispute over the books — played a role in her dismissal, the county argued in court documents.
A private-practice attorney hired by the county for the lawsuit, Patrick Holscher, and County Attorney Nathan Henkes didn't immediately return phone messages Wednesday seeking comment.
The books objected to in Gillette included “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson, “How Do You Make a Baby” by Anna Fiske, “Doing It” by Hannah Witton, “Sex is a Funny Word” by Corey Silverberg, and “Dating and Sex: A Guide for the 21st Century Teen Boy” by Andrew P. Smiler.
“We hope at least that it sends a message to other library districts, other states, other counties, that the First Amendment is alive and strong and that our values against discrimination also remain alive and strong,” said Lesley’s attorney, Iris Halpern. “These are public entities, they’re government officials, they need to keep in mind their constitutional obligations.”
Halpern and her firm, Rathod Mohamedbhai in Denver, have supported fired library employees elsewhere in recent years. Under the settlement agreement, Lesley is dropping her lawsuit, though a separate lawsuit she has filed against three individuals who contested the books will continue.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency tasked with enforcing discrimination laws, allowed the lawsuit against the county officials to be filed based on an earlier EEOC complaint filed by Lesley.
FILE - A shirt makes a political statement in a storefront in Gillette, Wyo., Sept. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Mead Gruver, File)
Jannik Sinner draped his left arm and his racket around Carlos Alcaraz's neck. Alcaraz then put his right arm on Sinner’s shoulder.
The friendly greeting between the two players after the latest in a series of high-stakes matches was a fitting image for the year in men’s tennis.
Sinner and Alcaraz are dominating the game and their levels are so close that they keep alternating who wins the biggest titles.
Alcaraz beat Sinner in a fifth-set tiebreaker in the French Open final; Sinner got revenge at Wimbledon; Alcaraz won again at the U.S. Open; and then Sinner defended his ATP Finals title before his home fans in Turin on Sunday.
Alcaraz sealed the year-ending No. 1 ranking, while No. 2 Sinner goes into the offseason coming off a confidence-boosting victory over his rival.
“The facts are they’re a level above everyone,” said Felix Auger-Aliassime, who was beaten by both Sinner (in the group stage) and Alcaraz (in the semifinals) at the season-ending event for the top eight players.
“The ranking doesn’t lie. They’re the two best players. That’s the facts. Different game styles, but both put extreme pressure on their opponent in different ways,” added Auger-Aliassime, who ends the year at a career-high No. 5. “They keep showing up and playing good, so credit to them.”
Added ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi, “These two guys are really incredible for our sport, both on and off the court.”
It was the most-watched tennis match in Italian TV history with 7 million viewers, according to numbers released by the national ratings service Monday.
Sinner, who also won the Australian Open, reached the final of all four Grand Slams and the finals — despite missing three months near the start of the year after settling a doping case.
Like in 2024, Sinner didn’t drop a set at finals — becoming the first player in the event’s history to achieve that feat in two different years.
“I feel to be a better player than last year,” Sinner said. “All the losses I had, I tried to see the positive thing and trying to evolve me as a player. I felt like this happened in a very good way.”
Alcaraz acknowledged a year ago when he won only one match during the group stage at finals that he still had to learn how to play indoors.
Well, consider him adept at the surface now.
“I didn’t doubt about playing and fighting toe-to-toe with Jannik on indoor court,” Alcaraz said. “I’m pretty sure that it’s going to keep growing up, my level on indoor court.”
After the loss to Alcaraz at the U.S. Open, Sinner said he wanted to improve his serve and the results were evident in Turin where he dropped his serve only once — in the opening game of the second set against Alcaraz.
“He’s actually pumped up the miles per hour and he is getting the ball closer to the line, which means he gets a lot more free points,” Darren Cahill, one of Sinner’s coaches, said of the Italian's first serve.
There was also a big 187 kph (116 mph) second serve from Sinner that helped him save a set point against Alcaraz late in the second set.
“I had already served two or three second serves in the same way (in that game) and I kept on losing the point. So I had to come up with something different. I decided for the riskiest option,” Sinner said. “Sometimes you need a bit of courage and some luck. I would rather lose that point then have him win it.”
Added Alcaraz, “That surprised me.”
Auger-Aliassime also reached the U.S. Open semifinals in September, and his ranking rocketed up from No. 30 midway through the year.
“I’ve always believed, since I’m a kid believed, and my ambition was to win Grand Slams and be No. 1 in the world,” the Canadian said. “Now it’s a matter of doing the right things to improve. If I do, we’ll see where that leaves me.”
At 25, Auger-Aliassime is older than both Sinner (24) and Alcaraz (22).
“We want (Sinner) to be playing his best tennis when he’s 28, 29, 30 years of age,” Cahill said. “Hopefully we’re setting the plan and platform for him to be able to do that in a few years.”
While Alcaraz was heading to Bologna to represent Spain in the Davis Cup finals this week, Sinner was starting his offseason and already focusing on 2026.
Sinner will be the two-time defending champion at the Australian Open and then will attempt to win the French Open for the first time.
“Clay is going to be a big target for us next year,” Cahill said. “We’ll keep working on that.”
Andrew Dampf is at https://x.com/AndrewDampf
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz serves to Italy's Jannik Sinner during the final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts after winning the final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Italy's Jannik Sinner, left, and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz hug after the final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, left, and winner Italy's Jannik Sinner stand on the podium after the final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Italy's Jannik Sinner, left, and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz hug after the final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
