Jason Gibbs' statement on Library Commission violation of the Sunshine Ordinance and Censorship by the San Francisco Public Library

Transcript of Public Comment at the March 19, 2026 meeting

During your December 2025 meeting I tried to prevail upon the members of this body to follow their bylaws and allow the stipulated up to 3 minutes of public comment. I realize that not all of you sat on the commission then. Since you ignored my request I appealed to the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force on this matter. I learned a great deal during this process including that the 3 minute language is part of the Brown Act enshrined in the Sunshine Ordinance and is part of the City’s administrative code. That’s why your bylaws contain this language and why you can’t vote to change it.

On March 4, 2026 I prevailed - File No. 26015: Complaint filed by Jason Gibbs against the San Francisco Library Commission for allegedly violating Administrative Code (Sunshine Ordinance), Section(s) 67.15, by failing to allow public comment for up to three minutes. The Commission analyst ably defended you in this instance, but there wasn’t much she could do because your action was indefensible. It was illegal.

I refer to this as “your action” because the Library Commission was the named party in the matter, but it might be more unsavory than that. You never acted on this matter. Any change in public comment time must be made at the sole discretion of the Commission’s presiding officer on a meeting by meeting basis not by an administrative analyst. Any of you could have questioned the library’s actions yet you let it continue for 13 consecutive meetings.

In January 2025 at the outset of this illegal practice the administrative analyst only said that “leadership decided.” Who was leading? Is the Library Commission the passive proxy of the Library’s administration? I ask you to carefully ask yourselves that. You all have impressive life and work experience and are very worthy of serving on the commission. I have heard moments of brilliant insight in your discussions at meetings. You are very smart people and I’m sure you want to do what is right.

The Administrative Code states that you are here to serve the public’s interest. You are a governance body that “provides oversight and direction” to the work of the Library. You represent the people out here and many more people you cannot see who use the library. You don’t represent the people seated at the far ends of the table.

As representatives of the government you suppressed legally guaranteed speech. Isn’t that called censorship? I cannot imagine you that consciously desired to censor, yet you continued to do so for more than a year. The administrative code also states:

“The willful failure of any elected official, department head, or other managerial city employee to discharge any duties imposed by the Sunshine Ordinance, the Brown Act or the Public Records Act shall be deemed official misconduct.”

Please put the public first.