NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — Testimony in the trial of former Elberon Public Library Director Bailey Jenkins (right, sitting in front of defense attorney Scott Hunter) began on Tuesday morning at the Tama County Courthouse in Toledo. Also pictured at left is Tama County Attorney Brent Heeren representing the prosecution.

TOLEDO — After a slight delay due to a juror arriving late at the Tama County Courthouse, testimony in the trial of the former Elberon Public Library director charged with soliciting a group of children to vandalize the facility last May began on Tuesday morning.

Both the prosecution and the defense in the case agree that on May 22, 2024, a group of seven minor participants in an afterschool program led by then-Librarian Bailey Anne Jenkins, 33, “ransacked and destroyed” the facility and caused nearly $18,000 in damages. The point of contention, however, is whether or not the defendant, in her final day on the job, bore criminal responsibility for the events that transpired and encouraged them as an act of retribution related to frustrations over her employment situation.

Although she was originally charged with seven counts of solicitation to commit a felony, Jenkins is standing trial on a single count of that charge, a Class D felony, along with one count of second degree criminal mischief, also a Class D felony. Tama County Attorney Brent Heeren gave the first opening statement, recounting the basic facts of the case and contending that “things really changed” on the afternoon of May 22.

Jenkins, Heeren said, had already announced her intent to resign from her position as the librarian at the small facility in the town of less than 200 people, but she agreed to stay on until a replacement was found.

“At some point during May 22, there was some kind of communication that set the defendant off, and I guess when I say set off, it upset her. She got a communication that she was understanding ‘This is it. My job is over. I’m not gonna be working here,'” Heeren said. “All of a sudden, you’ll see video where these kids kind of gather around the defendant, and they’re there for some time gathered around her. It appears some of them are consoling her, and for whatever reason, she’s telling these children what is going on. The next thing you know, these kids are basically doing what they can to destroy the library. I mean, books are flying around… There’s glitter everywhere. There’s all sorts of vandalism going on in the library.”

Jenkins, he added, sat and watched it happen before eventually opening the door to a storage area and entering it with the children. By the end of the ordeal, Heeren said the library was “trashed,” and Jenkins then sent a text to library board members informing them of the mess and leaving the task of cleaning it up to them.

Jenkins also took a video with the children in which they professed “this is all our fault.”

“Basically what this case is gonna come down to is the responsibility of the defendant for what happened that afternoon at the Elberon Library. That’s pretty much the defining issue in this case is whether the defendant had a responsibility, as the librarian, the person who is in charge of that library, is in control of that library and not only (had) a responsibility to stop what was going on but whether she was responsible for what happened,” Heeren said. “That’s what it’s gonna come down to.”

Once Heeren concluded, defense attorney Scott Hunter addressed the jury on behalf of his client and painted a different picture, contending that the children were upset about the resignation/termination of Jenkins. Hunter admitted she did nothing to stop the vandalism but disputed the idea that she had played a role in facilitating or encouraging it, instead making the case that the testimony of those involved would confirm his version of events.

In fact, he argued, Jenkins actually told one of the children to put back a fire extinguisher and another to avoid spreading glitter on the carpet, though the latter ultimately happened anyway and led to the dramatic escalation of the situation. Hunter then played the video Jenkins recorded, which Heeren had also referenced, where she professed her innocence, and a child can be heard yelling in the background “Bring Bailey back. She didn’t do anything wrong.”

“There’s a disaster here, but I want it noted that I did not create this mess. It was not a vindictive moment for me. It was angry kids, and I can’t say I blame them. But it’s their thing,” Jenkins said in the video.

Hunter wrapped up his opening remarks by asking the jury to return a verdict of not guilty. Judge Mark Fisher then welcomed the first witness to the stand, Elberon Public Library Board President Lorie Kesl. After Jenkins was hired on a part-time, 20 hour per week basis in October of 2023, Kesl said, things went well at first, but within a few months, issues began to arise, including the cleanliness of the facility and statements made to kids. Interactions between Jenkins and the board became “more difficult,” and in either February or March, she announced her resignation during a city council meeting due to health and “other things she had going on” in her life. Nonetheless, she had agreed to stay on until a replacement was found, and the board did eventually find a new librarian who was slated to start in June.

At a subsequent library board meeting in May, however, Kesl said Jenkins changed her mind and expressed a desire to keep her job, and without a full board that day, the members in attendance decided to wait until June to figure out a plan for the future and whether it would include Jenkins.

On May 22, Kesl said Jenkins texted library board members that it was her last day as she had grown tired of dealing with a “hostile work environment,” and the kids from the afterschool program had made a mess of the building to show their frustration over her departure.

“I’m done. I’m not cleaning it. You guys made this bed. You sleep in it,” Jenkins wrote in the message.

Kesl described the scene as “a complete disaster” with STEM supplies, books, shredded paper, glitter, glitter glue, popcorn oil and popcorn salt covering the floors, and Elberon Mayor Scott Pippert ultimately notified county law enforcement of the matter.

“Basically, anything we have was thrown around the library,” Kesl said.

Before the trial recessed for lunch on Wednesday, two of the children involved in the vandalism testified for the jury, with both echoing the claim that Jenkins had said something to the effect of “You guys can destroy the library. Do whatever you want. I’m not going to stop you.”

As this issue went to press, no verdict had been reached.