Scott London (photo, left) is a small-town constable in Texas with deep ties to extremist politics.
London is involved with the “constitutional sheriffs” movement, which falsely argues county sheriffs can “nullify federal laws,” and Oathkeepers, a rightwing militia that played a role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection (see story here).
He spent two years trying to prosecute school librarians for books targeted by conservatives across the country. The D.A. refused to press charges (see story here).
That’s right, he wanted to send these librarians to prison because he didn’t like some books. Those antics haven’t gone unnoticed. NBC News says,
“In an extraordinary look into … the right-wing backlash against books dealing with racism, gender, sex and sexuality, an 824-page investigative file obtained by NBC News and NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth shows how, for two years, London vigorously pursued felony charges against librarians in the Granbury Independent School District.
“London secured subpoenas, filed public records requests, received names of students who’d checked out certain books and… wrote draft criminal complaints. … London’s investigative file offers the most detailed and visceral picture to date of an attempt to prosecute librarians amid the nationwide campaign by conservatives to restrict children’s access to books depicting sex and LGBTQ people.”
NBC News notes “at least 18 states considered bills to make it easier to prosecute librarians over contested books,” and 3 states have adopted such laws, a trend which a spokesperson for PEN America, a free speech nonprofit, called “alarming” (read story here).
London is a political activist using his police authority to harass public employees. That’s a gross abuse of power, and the state should review his police credentials, but in Texas that probably won’t happen.
Even though the librarians weren’t prosecuted, they were traumatized. One quit her job. None would speak to the media, so it’s unknown if they plan to sue, but in any normal legal system London’s behavior was tortious; and he, the town, and parents he got to sign criminal complaints could be held legally liable. But again, this is Texas …