In a cramped meeting room on the ground floor of the Baltimore County Public Library’s Towson branch, CEO Sonia Alcántara-Antoine sat stone-faced.

For 40 minutes — as community members questioned her leadership, character and even her belief in democratic values — she laced her fingers in her lap and listened without expression during the library’s board of trustees meeting on Tuesday.

“You’re all complicit,” Nicole Dvorak, a former staffer, told the library’s leader and its board of trustees.

Last week, Alcántara-Antoine fired 14 part-time librarians only to rehire them two days later following a massive public backlash.

On Monday, library officials announced the departure of the system’s human resources director, Robin Linton, whom Alcántara-Antoine said resigned.

IAM Local 4538 President Anita Bass said Linton’s resignation wasn’t enough, and that the CEO needed to take responsibility.

“[Your actions were] embarrassing, humiliating and dehumanizing,” she said, staring directly at Alcántara-Antoine. “I don’t understand what you were thinking. We are unionized! You fired one of our negotiators.”

Initially, library officials said the layoffs were necessary to better serve the county and preserve resources. They said past library leaders decided to phase out part-time librarians and that the layoffs finalized the long-term decision.

Baltimore County Public Library employs 515 people across 19 branches. Its 2025 operating budget is $51 million, including $41 million in county funding.

CEO’s report

After a dozen registered speakers aired their grievances, the trustees’ chair, Yara Cheikh announced the board would move on from public comment to Alcántara-Antoine’s report.

Someone from the crowd shouted: “Union strong!” as attendees filed out of the dimly lit room.

Alcántara-Antoine cleared her throat and thanked her staff, some of whom were no longer present.

“I recognize that the recent decision created a lot of harm and, as a result, that undermined trust in our library system,” she said. “And for this I take full responsibility.”

Emily Williamson, a spokesperson for the library system, wrote that library leadership acknowledged the confusion, frustration and disappointment that the firing — and rehiring — of the 14 librarians caused. The librarians had been given an hour to clean out their desks and then were escorted from their respective library branches.

“We admit the abrupt nature of the recent changes created unnecessary uncertainty and pain,” she wrote.

In addition to Linton’s departure, Alcántara-Antoine and library leadership are reviewing their internal decision making and communication.

Alcántara-Antoine, the library system’s first Afro Latino CEO — and its first leader of color — was hired to direct the Baltimore County Public Library in December 2020.

She told The Baltimore Sun that libraries had inspired her since she was a teenager shelving books at her local branch on Long Island.

It’s a very democratic institution,” she told the newspaper five years ago. “That’s what really drew me to it.”

During her report on Tuesday, Alcántara-Antoine noted that she had the pleasure to congratulate 84 graduates from the library’s Entrepreneur Academy this year and commended the Essex branch for hosting an event focused on reintegrating formerly incarcerated individuals back into society.

Alcántara-Antoine said she will host an all-staff open forum to hear from employees and discuss what changes are necessary to move the organization forward.

She did not address calls for her resignation.

What’s next?

Despite outcry from Baltimore County officials — including Councilmen Julian Jones, Izzy Patoka, Mike Ertel and David Marks — the only entity with the power to terminate Alcántara-Antoine is the board of trustees.

Cheikh remained composed as many speakers voiced concerns that the board enabled its CEO to foster a toxic workplace.

During public comment, a library employee from Anne Arundel County, Laura Kellman, implored Cheikh and the six other board members to take action.

“There shall be no more tax dollars for Sonia. She has shown everyone who she truly is. And now you, the board of trustees, get to show us who you really are,” Kellman said. “You now know maintaining her as head of your library system allows this toxic environment to fester.”

After the public comment period, the board’s chair addressed the rest of the meeting’s attendees and promised to reevaluate how best to listen to library staff and evaluate the system’s growth and budget restrictions.

“We will be meeting virtually in December to continue the work and notice will be given,” Cheikh said.

The board voted to add a closed session to discuss a “personnel matter” to Tuesday’s agenda and then unanimously voted to move into that executive session, which was not open to the public.

“Our actions will demonstrate our words,” Cheikh said.

A few community members in attendance rolled their eyes.

This article was updated to note that Tuesday’s meeting was not an emergency session, but the library board of trustees’ regularly scheduled monthly meeting, and to clarify when and how attendees left the meeting.