A Tennessee librarian is out of a job after efforts to stymie a patriotic and religious book-reading event designed to counter drag-queen story hours.
The Sumner County Library Board voted 4-3 this week to fire Allan Morales, director of the Hendersonville branch, after the hostility he showed toward Christian actor Kirk Cameron and others, according to The Tennessean.
Cameron, University of Kentucky women’s swimmer Riley Gaines, and Missy Robertson of the “Duck Dynasty” clan were to appear at the Hendersonville Library on Feb. 25.
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The event continued despite what Cameron characterized as “unkind pushback” from Morales.
On Facebook, Cameron noted that an “OVERFLOW crowd of families, mayors, county commissioners, and celebs welcomed and joined us at the library in Hendersonville, TN. for singing the National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, praying and teaching faith in God and moral values to our kids.”
Cameron and his publisher, Brave Books, have sought to schedule such events at public libraries in recent months in response to “story hours” for young children featuring drag queens.
As The Free Press reported in December, more than 50 public libraries nationwide either canceled Cameron’s events or refused to even consider allowing it.
A public library in Providence, Rhode Island, for example, told his publisher that it was “a very queer-friendly library,” and added, “You can fill out the form to reserve space, to run the program in our space — but we won’t run your program.”
Morales, in emails obtained by The Tennessean, argued, “We work hard at not promoting any agendas left or right.” He also suggested moving Cameron’s event to a church.
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Cameron and Gaines also noted that Morales and his staff were being disruptive as the group tried to film a promotional video at the library.
Gaines also told The Tennessean that someone threatened to bomb the library because of the event.
City police later arrested Mark Frakl, a 49-year-old from Connecticut, with making a false bomb threat and harassment after he sent 14 emails “referencing death and blowing up the building,” the newspaper reported.
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