A Texas mother of five recently found herself in a predicament when she learned she could go to jail for not returning library books her county claimed were not returned.
In March 2023, Kaylee Morgan removed a book about Vincent van Gogh from the Navasota Public Library in Grimes County, Texas. She told FOX News Digital that she actually returned all the books she borrowed, but one book was too big to return. It will fit in the return box.
The two books had a combined value of $60, but Morgan was hit with a bill of $569.50, mostly for fines and court costs, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. She was also charged with violating city ordinances.
“A warrant is in effect for your arrest,” the disturbing document read. “Act now to avoid going to jail.”
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Texas mother Kaylee Morgan is facing charges over library books she says she returned more than a year ago. (Kayley Morgan)
But Mr. Morgan didn’t know until recently that the months-old document existed. Her mother said the problems began when she performed the innocent task of renewing her driver’s license last week.
“So I went to the house and was told the DMV couldn’t renew my license because there was a warrant out for my arrest and I heard laughter,” she explained in a video posted to Facebook. “And I’m shocked because I can’t get pulled over and I don’t have a ticket. It just doesn’t make any sense.”
“I’m at home most of the time. I homeschool my kids, so I couldn’t understand what she was saying.”
Morgan then called the district court to find out what the problem was and was told there were two library books that were past their due date. Sensing her stress, her mother made an appointment for her to meet with a judge.
“It’s really ridiculous. It’s really ridiculous. I have a warrant out for my library’s overdue books. Okay…this is not fake. I’m not making this up,” she said, perplexed.
Read the court documents here:
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During her meeting with the county judge, Morgan explained that she is homeschooling her five children and had difficulty conceiving around the time her book was due.
”[In the meeting] He explains that he returned the book. “Some items were too large to fit in the return box. The system was down when I returned them, but I definitely returned them.”
“And Max, that was two weeks late,” Morgan added. “Maybe more than that, but I was pregnant and had some complications and was on bed rest.”
The judge’s reaction was less than sympathetic, Morgan said.
Kaylee Morgan, a Texas mother, took her children, including her daughter (right), to the Navasota Public Library in Grimes County, Texas. (Kayley Morgan)
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“She said she didn’t want to hear my excuses and that I needed to take responsibility,” Morgan recalled. “She said what I did by not returning library books was the same as stealing from Walmart.”
“So my record says I stole government property. Ridiculous, right? Just ridiculous.”
The judge added that the warrant is still active and Morgan will not be allowed to renew his driver’s license until he pays the $600 ticket. This is expensive for a family of five on a single income.
“She said, “If you’re driving in Grimes County and you get pulled over, whether you have kids or not, you’re going to arrest me. So they’re going to arrest me in front of my kids… I don’t know, I’ll take care of this.”
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Kayleigh Morgan and her family were photographed wearing Halloween costumes, months after she said she returned overdue library books. (Kayley Morgan)
Morgan said technically the warrant was never served because he had no knowledge of its existence.
”[The judge] They issued a warrant and said someone signed it, but I said it wasn’t me, she said. “I didn’t sign it. I don’t drive, so I’ll know if I signed her warrant. I don’t want to go to jail. And when I asked her who signed it, , she said no, it doesn’t matter.”
The mother raised more than $1,300 through GoFundMe to help pay the fine. Now she plans to hire a lawyer to clear all the confusion from her record.
Morgan told Fox News Digital that she has received a lot of support over the situation, but has not heard back from authorities since going public with the situation.
The Grimes County Courthouse (left) and the Navasota Public Library (right) are both locations involved in the lawsuit against Morgan. (Google Maps)
“The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive,” she said. “Some people don’t understand that I submitted a book, and some people think I’m running a smear campaign.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Navasota County judge, the Grimes County judge and the Navasota city manager, but did not receive a response.
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