Parents across America have had enough of woke activists pushing radical gender ideology on their children.
But one library board thought it could ignore those concerns.
And North Carolina commissioners sent this library board packing after one controversial book decision.
County dissolves entire library board over single transgender book
Randolph County, North Carolina just made history with the most severe response yet to a library refusing to remove LGBTQ content aimed at kids.
The county Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 on December 8 to dissolve the entire nine-member library board of trustees — wiping out the board completely.¹
The nuclear option came after the library board voted 5-2 in October to keep "Call Me Max" in the children's section — a picture book about a transgender boy who asks his teacher to use his chosen name.²
Randolph County went 78.3% for President Donald Trump in 2024, one of the highest margins in North Carolina.³
Nearly 200 residents packed the hearing, with roughly equal numbers on both sides.
After two hours of testimony, commissioners pulled the trigger — with no announced plan for replacing the board.
"Three commissioners didn't see it that way. Three commissioners felt like, just abolish the board and then figure it out," Commissioner Hope Haywood, who voted against the dissolution, told local media.⁴
The conservative North Carolina Values Coalition pushed residents to attend the hearing.
Executive director Tami Fitzgerald said the book "teaches children that their parents may be wrong about their gender, and that their gender is actually whatever they feel it is."⁵
"Planting this lie in a child's mind at a young age can lead them down a harmful path of social and medical transitioning," Fitzgerald added.⁶
The library followed its own procedures for reviewing challenged materials.
Staff and trustees held hearings and voted to keep the book — following county policy.
But that didn't matter.
North Carolina law allows counties to dissolve library boards, though it rarely happens.
Kyle Lukoff's trans agenda targets America's children from coast to coast
The book's author, Kyle Lukoff, is a trans man and former school librarian who has made a career of pushing gender ideology on young children.
"Call Me Max" has already been banned by three school districts — Carmel, Indiana; Palm Beach County, Florida; and Stillwater, Minnesota — plus all Department of Defense military schools nationwide.⁶
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held up a blown-up page from "Call Me Max" when signing legislation in 2022 that banned classroom discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade.⁷
The book features a child who tells classmates about being transgender.
Lukoff responded by claiming this is about "power" rather than procedure.
"If there are people in power who believe trans people don't belong in their communities or the world at large, they will twist those policies to make it a reality," Lukoff told The Washington Post.⁸
Kasey Meehan, director of the Freedom to Read program at the far-left advocacy group PEN America, called Randolph County's decision "among the most severe penalties" she's seen over a single book.⁹
Parents are sick of radical activists using public libraries to indoctrinate children with gender ideology that contradicts biology.
The book was added to the library in 2021 after local parents requested materials about transgender experiences — a vocal minority imposing this material on the entire community.
It had only been checked out five times since then.¹⁰
Library board members who voted to keep the book claimed it followed their "collection policies."
One trustee said during the October hearing, "To anyone out there that is transgender, it is okay to be transgender in Randolph County."¹¹
That rainbow flag-waving is exactly what prompted commissioners to dissolve the board.
Randolph County commissioners just sent a message to woke library boards nationwide: push radical gender ideology on kids, and you're out.
Parents aren't going to tolerate library boards ignoring their concerns about age-inappropriate content.
The days of hiding behind "library procedures" to force transgender propaganda on elementary school children are over.
¹ Amy Rudisill, Randolph County spokeswoman, quoted in Rachel del Guidice, "NC county dissolves library board after vote to keep kids transgender-themed picture book," Fox News, December 17, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ "Interactive map: How did each North Carolina county vote in the 2024 presidential election?," FOX8 WGHP, November 7, 2024.
⁴ Amy Diaz, "Randolph commissioners dismiss entire library board after book controversy," Blue Ridge Public Radio, December 9, 2025.
⁵ Tami Fitzgerald quoted in "Library board ousted after voting to keep children's book about trans boy," DNyuz, December 14, 2025.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Brenda Argueta, "Florida Gov. DeSantis signs controversial 'Don't Say Gay' bill into law," ClickOrlando, March 28, 2022.
⁸ Kyle Lukoff quoted in "North Carolina county dissolves library board for refusing to toss book about a trans kid," The Advocate, December 15, 2025.
⁹ Kasey Meehan quoted in "Library board ousted after voting to keep children's book about trans boy," DNyuz, December 14, 2025.
¹⁰ "Library Board Upholds Call Me Max After Packed Public Hearing," Randolph Hub, October 2025.
¹¹ Ibid.