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Mayor John Whitmire on Thursday replaced the Houston Public Library’s executive director of 19 years, Rhea Lawson, following months of behind-the-scenes conversations about low morale throughout the organization.
In a statement, the mayor’s office said it immediately was installing longtime school system administrator Cynthia Wilson as interim director of the library on Thursday, shortly after Lawson told employees she was retiring.
The personnel shuffle comes amid persistent questions about declining attendance and staff turnover in the library system. Nodding to the issues that have roiled the library system in recent months, the mayor’s statement said he had tasked Wilson with improving morale.
“I am grateful Cynthia agreed to serve in this interim role, and I have asked her to immediately go to work on improving communications, management, employee morale, and operations throughout HPL,” Whitmire said in a statement.
Whitmire has hinted for months that he planned to tackle issues at the library, following the Houston Landing’s reporting. Shortly after winning the mayoral election in December, he said the Landing’s ongoing coverage of low morale “made a huge impact on me.”
Asked how he planned to fix what has been referred to as a toxic, hostile workplace for the 400-plus employees in the Houston Public Library system, Whitmire said, “It starts at the top. I don’t tolerate bullies. I read (the Landing’s) articles about the employees that were unhappy and felt like they weren’t respected. We intend to address that sooner than later.”
The final months of Lawson’s tenure as head of the library system had been clouded by reports of employee unrest. A recent survey of employees conducted for the city’s human resources department found the library system had the second-highest rate of dissatisfaction. The library system’s turnover rate was more than double the city average in 2022.
How we reported this
- The Houston Landing began investigating issues at the Houston Public Library nine months ago, when we received a reader tip about flaws with the cashless printing policy.
- In reporting that story, we learned from staff that there were serious concerns about employee morale, and a lack of faith in leadership.
- After dozens of interviews, and reviewing hundreds of pages of documents we learned that employees who have spoken out allege they’ve been retaliated against.
- On Tuesday, the Landing published a story about deteriorating conditions at the library’s Montrose branch.
- The next day, the library announced it would close the Montrose branch permanently, effective this week.
- On Thursday, it was announced that Lawson would be replaced immediately, by Cynthia Wilson.
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The Landing obtained every exit interview filed by outgoing library employees that year, and found 28 percent said they would not recommend friends and family to work at HPL; 13 percent checked a box indicating a “hostile work environment” was a major influence in their decision to leave.
Over the course of the Landing’s nine-month investigation into the library, more than a dozen employees have reported that the library system is a “toxic” workplace, where speaking out can result in retribution.
Former Mayor Sylvester Turner deflected questions about the library’s leadership at the end of his term.
In her statement to employees, Lawson indicated her decision to leave was voluntary.
“Words cannot express how much I have enjoyed my time at HPL. What I will miss the most is working with you to provide the best possible service to the citizens of Houston. You are indeed the dream team!” Lawson wrote.
In a 2018 interview, Lawson said she considered the creation of the African American History Research Center at the Gregory School her signature achievement. She also spoke with pride about the library’s response to Hurricane Harvey.
The mayor’s office said it wished Lawson “the best in all future endeavors.”
Lawson’s departure was greeted with praise from the city’s municipal employee union, the Houston Organization of Public Employees. Union president Sonia Rico said her organization had “several” conversations with Whitmire about library leadership.
“We are really looking forward to the change and see how that changes the morale,” Rico said. “That is something we were asking for, and we are glad that it has finally taken place.”
Lawson’s replacement, Wilson, previously served as deputy superintendent for the Houston Independent School District, as a superintendent in South Carolina and as an executive for the Dallas Independent School District.
She currently is serving as Whitmire’s senior advisor for organizational culture and education and will continue in that role, the mayor’s office said.
This is the second dramatic change announced by the Houston Public Library this week. On Wednesday, one day after the Houston Landing published an article about the deteriorating conditions at the Eleanor-Freed branch on Montrose Boulevard, the Library made the abrupt decision to permanently close the branch, effective Thursday, due to “safety concerns.”
It is typical for new mayors in Houston to roll out new leadership teams. Since taking office in January, Whitmire has announced replacements for at least seven department chiefs, including high-profile agencies such as the Houston Airport System, Housing and Community Development and the Planning and Development Department.
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