I suppose many people already know about this, but it was news to me.

This suit is not settled but the group against the library site change won a victory in having two letters both saying the County was in violation of their civil rights. It's up to the federal Institue of Museum and Library Services now to send it determine if it should be sent to the Justice Department.

"State officials say Knox County government violated the federal Civil Rights Act by deciding to move a branch library farther from the center of East Knoxville's black population before getting public input. As a result, Tennessee Secretary of State Riley Darnell has frozen grant funding for the library system until the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services determines whether to refer the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice. Knox County contends it did nothing wrong when it moved the Burlington Branch Library 931 feet to the east. The county spent $2.75 million to acquire and renovate space at 4614 Asheville Highway that used to house a Walgreens drugstore. The new library branch opened in October. A group called the Five Points Village Library Committee filed a complaint on Sept. 1, 2005, alleging that county officials violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination in federally funded programs. The group alleges that Knox County provides "inequitable and inferior library services" to the county's black community. The group also alleges that officials made their decision without public meetings, though after the decision several meetings were held in an attempt, according to the complaint, "to deceive the community" by giving the process the appearance of openness."

(link...)
(scroll down to find the statement about this)

Ragsdale seems to be up to his neck in this one too...

"Birdsong said Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale gave a "State of the Community" speech May 3, 2004, in which he announced that the county would "renovate a vacant building along Asheville Highway and put it back into use as a new Burlington Branch Library." Only afterwards, Birdsong said, did county officials hold public meetings to get input from residents. Records show the first public meeting was held nearly two months after Ragsdale's announcement. "What got our attention was that the decision had already been made," Birdsong said. Neither Ragsdale's office nor library officials would comment on the matter, citing the possible legal action."