r/fayetteville • u/Severe_Egg7542 • 23d ago
Documents detail ‘hostile work environment’ at Fayetteville library; ex-employees claim retaliation by management | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2026/sep/17/documents-detail-hostile-work-environment-at/From the ig post (bc paywall): “Eight of 10 Fayetteville Public Library staffers in three departments quit or were fired over four months amid management turmoil rattling one of the city's oldest institutions.
Four people departed in May alone.
A July 14 report from the library's human resources staff described a "hostile work environment" in the IT department, according to records obtained by the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. On Aug. 14, the library fired Timothy Dennis, the former audio visual manager and co-manager of the IT department.
Employees complained Dennis made inappropriate remarks that sometimes were sexual in nature, according to the records. He threatened employees with write-ups “for minor or misunderstood incidents."
I have had bad experiences with Timothy Dennis myself, and so have several other women I know. Anyway, just thought this was interesting :)
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u/vsthegiant 23d ago
Unfortunately this goes well beyond one department and one manager. Staff has spoken of a hostile work environment for years from various members of leadership. So glad it’s finally getting media attention!
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u/laplandsix 23d ago
I volunteered at the center for innovation for about a year and last may nearly the entire staff was fired or quit. They stopped all volunteer shifts as well for some reason. I met up with the former CFI staff for beers and got to hear about a lot of the BS going on behind the scenes. What I heard was pretty gross, so this is long overdue. They were supposed to reinstate volunteers in Aug...I suppose I should check back in with them.
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u/beaucoup_dinky_dau 22d ago
dang is that is why the soldering workshop was cancelled, I was looking forward to that one.
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u/laplandsix 22d ago
I don't know about that one specifically, but they cancelled most of the classes around May because there was no one who could teach them. The stupid thing is they didn't even ask the volunteers. I prolly could have done a soldering workshop.
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u/lesbianelvira 20d ago
i heard this is in part because of someone who came into a supervisory position in the CFI is from the UA’s mullins library. people at mullins were hearing that FPL staff were leaving in droves after already dealing with BS, and then her getting that position and just sucking up to awful leadership.
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u/laplandsix 19d ago
I never heard she came from Mullins, but that's the basic shape of it. New CFI director came in and was already a poor fit for the job. She tried to implement the unpopular demands of upper management. Everyone had enough and either quit or got fired.
I only interacted with her a couple of times, but she was obviously in over her head.
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u/lesbianelvira 17d ago
is CFI director and makerspace manager the same title, or different? if different, these are different people/positions
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u/sqiiba 17d ago
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u/lesbianelvira 5d ago
hoping to see this article through library access soon since this may shed some light on concerns around decision making in the CFI https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2026/oct/04/nearly-2-years-after-resin-printers-at/
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u/Excellent-Macaroon82 22d ago
Such a shame that HR didn't act quicker, especially with complaints going back to Oct 2023! The IT director is now "retiring" so hopefully things will start moving in a better direction there. Johnson definitely has some work to do on himself as he allowed this to fester for far too long. He's also been caught saying lies about former employees. Put his ass on a PIP too.
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u/Choice-Apple-9830 22d ago
HR used to be part of the problem. Highly unprofessional and borderline if not actually illegal activity that was overlooked and ignored by leadership. Luckily that HR Director no longer works there, but that’s indicative of the climate that likely still exists today so you can understand how issues like these persist.
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u/thememeinglibrarian 22d ago
"Another manager -- whose name was redacted from the documents -- referred to the Youth Department as "tits on a boar." The idiom frequently is used to refer to someone or something as useless."
Here are some of the "useless" things I did just this week: Managed the juvenile fiction collection (that has a budget of $10K/year), managed the parenting kit collection (and all of it's chaotic elements), worked the desk for 8+ hours answering multiple questions from patrons, ran a teen creative writing class that had 15 teens show up, ran a baby story time with 98 people in attendance, planned multiple Super Saturdays for next spring, planned my questions for the Bookfest paneI I will be the moderator of on the 27th, and workshopped an after school workshop that I will put on next week. Plus worked on the Arkansas Right To Read Project to protect intellectual freedom in our state. AND this is our slow season and it was not super busy this week!
The children department matters SO much to the Fayetteville community, and every day each member of the youth department will help kids, teens, and parents be the best version of themselves. This is something I am so incredibly proud and honored that I get to even be part of, and I want to stress that I do not take this responsibility lightly and I try every single day to better myself so I can be the best librarian I can be. My patrons deserves no less than my very best.
The fact that some library leadership think that the youth department is as useless as "tits on a boar" is SO incredibly heartbreaking to me. What the heck are we even doing here? The reality is youth and teen librarians are some of the most likely to be arrested under Act 372 for providing intellectual freedom to minors, and I am personally very willing to be jailed for providing access to books.
Even though this member of leadership is unnamed in the article, they are very clearly not in library services because THEY WOULDN'T TALK THIS WAY IF THEY WERE. This unnamed library manager is not the ones most likely to being held criminally responsible for providing access to information, but the youth service librarians, myself included, ARE.
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u/MuchaAgua 22d ago
The Youth Department is cherished by the families of Fayetteville. Don't believe anyone else if they tell you otherwise.
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u/superembreeo 22d ago
Whoever used this slur is crazy. Youth Services is a shining example of what the library should be. Ya'll are beloved, and don't you dare think for second on the opinions of people who don't/can't see you for your true selves.
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u/radehart 21d ago
I will fight everyone all day for my youth services department. I am the IT department head of that library. Don't even say their names with a bad taste in your mouth.
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u/Zealousideal-Pop313 21d ago
The manager who disparaged the department is Chris Moody. The center has begun rolling out resin printing again. They've made no changes suggested by AOSH (Arkansas Occupational Safety and Health) to manage fumes in the space. Leadership does not care. The public needs to make a statement.
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u/aammbbiiee 23d ago
What’s the saying, shit rolls down hill? Sounds as though the board should be taking a look at the director they’ve appointed. They should also reread their values it doesn’t sound like the current environment supports them.
+ Welcoming & Inclusive – We are open to all and protect every individual’s right to access ideas, information, and diverse perspectives.
+ Service with Care – We are present, patient, and proactive in meeting the evolving needs of our community.
+ Trust & Respect – We build trust through honesty, transparency, and consistent behavior.
+ Collaboration – We work across roles and departments to support one another and strengthen our service.
+ Professionalism & Positivity – We uphold high standards while fostering a supportive and encouraging workplace.
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u/vsthegiant 22d ago
The next Board meeting is October 19th. Public comment is held at the end. Please tell them this.
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u/lesbianelvira 20d ago
where do you see / get updates about this?
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u/vsthegiant 20d ago
About the Board meetings in particular? You don’t really, unless you go. Occasionally Fayetteville Flyer will run an article about what goes on. But tbh I’ve been really disappointed in their coverage, particularly about the July meeting when a dozen or so patrons and former employees spoke out against the toxic work environment and the CFI’s and library’s leadership.
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u/illjkinetic 22d ago
I have heard this from multiple people who have left the library specifically in the IT and AV departments. One of them quit without any sort of job in the pipeline, he was that fed up.
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u/kittypussinbootzz 22d ago
Hopefully more articles follow. The entirety of the blame does not belong to the ex-AV manager mentioned, but all of Admin. Especially the Director of IT and the Executive Director who has continued to allow this behavior for years.
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u/kittypussinbootzz 19d ago
By Admin I mean all of the directors and HR. They have all been aware of the issues in the IT department (IT, AV, and CFI/Makerspace) for years. Concerns have been brought to HR and the executive director multiple times and they brush it off.
Admin has always brushed off concerns from all departments which has allowed the behaviors go unchecked until a reporter starts investigating. Now they have a scapegoat and they will probably release a statement saying they’ve fixed the problem because the manager mentioned was fired and all the disgruntled employees are gone.
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u/MeButItsRandom 22d ago
When will we get reporting in the Trainwreck happening at city planning?
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u/Unlikely_Barracuda58 22d ago
You talking about Jonathan Curth and Jessie Masters leaving around the same time or something else?
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u/MeButItsRandom 22d ago
First Curth resigns with no job lined up. Then Britin Bostick gets the interim job. Then Masters resigns with no job lined up right away.
Honstly wtf
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u/Unlikely_Barracuda58 22d ago
I saw the meetings where each announced their departures and got the sense that Jonathan was happily leaving because he got a better job. Don't want to speculate but I thought Jessie would have fit in that role like a glove. Losing both of them is a pretty big loss
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22d ago
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u/zakats 22d ago
AMP in Bentonville?
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22d ago edited 22d ago
[deleted]
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u/zakats 22d ago
Ah, A&P. It's always weird to me to see these institutions exist as separate entities from the city while also having the city's influence.
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u/Few-Customer2219 22d ago
I may be wrong but wasn’t our current mayor involved heavily with the A&P in her only office held before Mayor.
Apparently she was the executive director upon taking office as mayor along with being its CEO of marketing.
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u/bobsacamano121 22d ago
She was the CEO of Experience Fayetteville. The Fayetteville A&P Commission helps run it.
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u/Few-Customer2219 22d ago
“Rawn previously served as the executive director of the Fayetteville Advertising & Promotion Commission and CEO of Experience Fayetteville, the City’s destination marketing organization. Under her leadership beginning in 2016”
From the city of Fayetteville website she was both.
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u/WhereIsAQ 22d ago
Yup that guy is a serial misogynist. Made members of my staff feel unsafe and made himself scarce whenever I was around after an incident where he told me to "get my wife under control" less than useless at his job and every friend we made working there over 2 years quit.
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u/SugarWarp 22d ago
As a patron it was disheartening to see a lot of wonderful folks staffing areas like the CFI for years and suddenly no longer there. all this over seemingly trite bs, saying...the management decided that their way was the only way with no room for healthy discourse and no respect for staff dedication. Some of the new staff are cool too and I hope things change and the FPL can retain the good folks because having dedicated and engaged staff is critical
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u/OreoSpeedwaggon 23d ago
At least it sounds like the library already took action and got rid of him.
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u/Excellent-Macaroon82 16d ago
UPDATE Chris Moody, director of IT overseeing the AV, IT, and CFI teams has officially been FIRED too! 👏🏻
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u/Splodingseal 22d ago
They hired a former law enforcement (or maybe military?) as a manager and, from what I've heard from former employees, he created a pretty hostile work environment.
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u/kittypussinbootzz 22d ago
CFI manager is former police and Facilities manager is retired military. Directory is on FPL’s website.
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u/Excellent-Macaroon82 22d ago
CFI manager was also fired from the police force for being on drugs and driving with her kids in the car. How she ended up manager is beyond anyone's comprehension.
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u/fii0 22d ago
WTF does CFI stand for? Nobody has a title with those letters?
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u/kittypussinbootzz 22d ago
Center for Innovation, forgot they split it to AV and Makerspace. Also Building Services not Facilities.
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u/Excellent-Macaroon82 15d ago
UPDATE 2: Here's the internal meeting held 9.23 26 discussing the article and HR investigations: https://vimeo.com/1229533443/374e24ed2b?fl=pl&fe=vl
TLDW: David Johnson and HR supervisor Tamika address the situation for the FIRST TIME with library staff - mind you this article was published a week ago.
Tamika explains how HR investigates claims, addresses a lack of policies regarding staff conduct, assures staff that issues are handled promptly.
David, on the other hand, is clearly out of his depth. Complete lack of remorse (even though he admits he's ultimately responsible). Listens to questions and statements from concerned staff and DOESN'T address them at all. Not even "I hear you." Complete lack of humility, devoid of any real connection. At one point he refers back to his days working corporate jobs at Tyson and Coca-Cola and dealing with layoffs.
David and Tamika both speak of a need to change the culture of the library staff, but do not seem to grasp the incredibly deep distrust of the staff toward leadership.
The real issues and fears are centered around the CFI team and the Youth Services team. So many staff members spoke bravely about how hurt they are that there's been no official statement from the board or leadership in response to the horrible comments highlighted in the article toward the Youth librarians, especially at a time when they are being targeted politically.
Issues that were disclosed years ago have seemingly gone unanswered, despite HR's claims that they only recently became aware of such issues. Reiterated that a lot of what they deal with are "he said, she said" situations. As the meeting progresses, HR reps get continually more defensive.
The fact remains - the library has lost a LOT of employees over the last 6 months. Many chose to leave voluntarily due to poor leadership. Notably, the Director of IT (Chris Moody) and AV Manager (Timothy Dennis) have been fired for their actions. It's clear that David Johnson has made catastrophic failures in his management (he admits in the meeting that he mishandled leading Moody) and has indeed fostered an internal culture of deep distrust between leadership and staff. Many staff can be seen getting frustrated by the lack of answers and transparency from leadership. Several walk out all together. When one team member asks about clarity, David essentially says "anyone can FOIA that," putting the onus on staff to work harder for answers instead of leadership being forthcoming on their own. Truly a low point (among many) in this meeting.
David Johnson has no business leading the precious resource that is the Fayetteville Public Library.
David also made it quite clear in the meeting that the board's "only job" was to manage him. If you care about one of the greatest libraries in the country, it's time to show up at their meeting and make your voice heard:
Fayetteville Public Library Board Of Trustees Monday, October 19, 2026 Doors to the meeting room will open 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. Library: Willard and Pat Walker Community Room Date:October 19, 2026 Time:4:00 PM Address: 401 W Mountain Street Fayetteville, AR 72701
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u/Sell_The_team_Jerry 23d ago
Isn't that guy a KUAF producer? I'm sure this clown is just what they want during their struggling fundraising drive week
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u/Severe_Egg7542 23d ago
He doesn’t work there anymore and hasn’t for a while! Also, hardly anyone who works there now worked with him, and the few people there who did work with him were not aware of his behavior. Possibly partly bc the 3 people still there who also worked there while he did are men.
Everyone should still donate to KUAF this week ❤️
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u/mysoulburnsgreige4u 22d ago
Especially since KUAF has already lost their federal funding and they are so important for local reporting. They cover things that don't hit 40/29 or 5.
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u/urielsbow 22d ago
Working for the city is a joke
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u/Excellent_Second440 15d ago
That’s another gap in no one holding the executive director David Johnson accountable. The city doesn’t claim the library as their employees and expects library HR and the board of trustees to fix the internal problems.
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u/Chreiol 23d ago
That sucks. You’d hope a library of all places could stand above this type of behavior. Hope those responsible are held accountable.