The Denton City Council appointed Ellen Quinn Sullivan to serve on the local library board after rejecting another conservative nominee three months earlier.
Council members voted 5-2 to approve Sullivan during Tuesday night’s city council meeting.
Mayor Gerard Hudspeth nominated Sullivan, with a second from Councilman Joe Holland.
Sullivan has lived in Denton with her husband for the past 17 years. She told the Denton Record-Chroncle she knew Holland through University of North Texas alumni activities and asked him about applying for the library board.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Holland described Sullivan as “a lovely woman” and noted she is a grandmother and former public school teacher.
She is also the mother of Texas Scorecard publisher Michael Quinn Sullivan—a relationship that caused some controversy among liberal members of the community and the council.
Maxine Davis, a Denton Democrat who advocates for decriminalizing marijuana, called Ellen Sullivan a “MAGA extremist book banner” in an X post urging residents to oppose her nomination.
In September, another Hudspeth nominee—conservative grandmother Debi Scaggs—was accused of being a “book banner” because she had challenged age-inappropriate books in Denton’s school and public libraries.
The council rejected Scaggs 4-2.
But on Tuesday, Sullivan won over a majority of council members.
“I had an extended conversation with the nominee, and I found her to be reasonable, constructive, and not as advertised by her detractors,” said Councilman Paul Meltzer. “We found common ground on seeing our libraries as mostly on the right track.”
Councilman Brandon McGee said he also “had an excellent conversation” with Sullivan.
I’m satisfied that this is a good nomination, and I’ll tell you why. When I asked her why she wanted to be on the library board, she said because she wanted to do everything possible to encourage young people to make more use of our public libraries, to help support programs that encourage kids to read more.
“I’m satisfied that that is what we should expect of those nominees that should be put up for the library board,” said McGee. “This is not about anyone else but her.”
Councilwoman Jill Jester agreed.
“I’m not going to judge someone and prevent them from a volunteer position because of the views or the actions of their relative,” said Jester.
“She’s one of seven and a former school teacher,” Jester added. “And when we talk about wanting a diversity of opinion, that’s exactly what we mean… We can have a difference of opinion as long as we are respectful to each other.”
Council members Vicki Byrd and Brian Beck voted against Sullivan.
“I’m going to be voting no, no surprise,” said Byrd.
Byrd said she had not spoken with Sullivan but was concerned about the negative “chatter” surrounding the nominee.
Beck, who led the opposition to conservative nominee Scaggs, said he spoke with Sullivan and reviewed feedback from the community before deciding to vote no.
“It’s been a crazy 48 hours,” Sullivan told Texas Scorecard on Wednesday. “Who ever heard of the library board being contentious?”
Sullivan said she is proud to be a conservative and proud of her conservative son, but she will seek common ground with all her fellow board members.
“I look forward to getting to know people with a different world view because that’s the way we learn and grow,” she said. “I think it’s important for people to respect each other.”
She added that “preconceived notions are a dangerous thing.”
“Isn’t it time for people to be civil again and listen to each other?”
Denton’s Library Board is a seven-member advisory committee that makes recommendations on policies and programs for the operation of the city’s library system. The board generally meets on the second Monday of each month.
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