Library director fired for behavior undermining faith-based story hour with Kirk Cameron

Paul Chinn

A Hendersonville, Tennessee public library director has been fired for an alleged deliberate disruption of a storybook hour event hosted by Christian actor and author Kirk Cameron. Cameron offers a Christian alternative to drag queen story hours and the events have become hugely popular.

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Many public libraries nationwide are begrudgingly hosting faith-based storybook hour events after residents demanded equal opportunities. If drag queens are allowed to host storybook hours for children and their families at public libraries, the other groups should be allowed the same opportunities. These are public libraries. It is reported that the library staff at the Hendersonville library showed their displeasure with the event by disrupting the filming of a video promoting the story hour.

The mayor admits that the library director was fired because of the behavior shown toward the Cameron event.

The event at the Hendersonville Public Library (HPL) featured such stars as Duck Dynasty’s Missy Robertson and former University of Kentucky swimming standout, Riley Gaines. Both women have reported rude and unkind pushback on the part of Morales and his staff during the production of a film promoting the February 25 event.

Gaines and Robertson recall library employees intentionally making loud noises, blaring music, banging books, and kicking cabinets, to disrupt the session. They assert that the noises were clearly “excessive and intentional.”

Robertson went as far as suggesting HPL Director Allan Morales had been purposefully trying to sabotage the event once he realized the extent of Cameron’s Christian conservative beliefs. On the Unashamed with Phil & Jase Robertson podcast, Robertson said, “He started a campaign in the community to shut the event down without officially canceling it because then he knew that it wouldn’t be good for their library.”

Cameron himself felt that Morales was speaking far too loudly at promotional filming sessions as well. In the midst of rising tensions (including bomb threats) leading up to the event, the Sumner County Library board voted 4-3 to fire the director. Mayor John Isbell acknowledged that the dismissal was related to the Kirk Cameron event.

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Director Morales doesn’t offer much in the way of standing up for his professional behavior. He said now that he is fired, the community can move on. He even said that there is no point in giving his side of the story. “We work hard at not promoting any agendas, left or right. At the end of the day, I don’t hate anybody.”

So, why not at least tell his side of the story? Tell the locals what happened and what was going on at the public library during the filming of the promotion for an event. A lack of formal response is all but an admission of guilt. That is why the Sumner County Library Board voted to fire Mr. Morales. Cameron posted on his Facebook page about the event in Hendersonville.

Cameron posted on his Facebook page about the event that included:

“Despite the rain and the unkind pushback (from one disgruntled librarian), 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.”

The horror! A wholesome, dare I say patriotic and faith-based family event taking place in a public library open to all? Clearly, that must be shut down! (sarcasm)

These hostile reactions from those who support alternatives like the drag queen story hours are happening on a regular basis toward Cameron. He has a big platform and his events are put on in conjunction with Brave Books. Riley Gaines said it is too bad that the kerfuffle resulted in the firing of Morales. She is a resident of Sumner County.

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“It’s not an accurate representation of Hendersonville , Gallatin or Sumner County,” Gaines, a resident of Sumner County said. “I hate that it resulted in termination. I don’t know if it was politically driven. There were bomb threats (reported), a lot of things going on (leading up to the event). I don’t know if it is an accurate representation of him.”

Hendersonville police charged Mark Frakl, 49, of Connecticut. with making a false bomb threat and harassment.

Police say Hendersonville Public Library received 14 emails from the same account during a short period of time referencing death and blowing up the building.

Nonetheless, drag queens and their supporters persist. A week ago, an event in Fayetteville, Arkansas which is a university town ( home to the University of Arkansas), was interrupted by a group of drag queens. The event with Brave Books and Kirk Cameron was held at the Fayetteville Public Library. The event was popular with residents, who filled the room. Brave Books published Cameron’s new book, “As You Grow.” On the Facebook page for Brave Books, there are photos of the group of protesters dressed in black and white. They blocked some families and children from seeing Cameron.

Cameron described the disruption as “disturbing”, and said that the group included “grown men wearing silly makeup, dressed in skirts and heels, pretending to be women”. He also noted that security measures had to be put in place for the Fayetteville event due to the number of threats they received.

“The small group of protesters, which included some grown men wearing silly makeup, dressed in skirts and heels, pretending to be women, listened to the reading of a kids’ book about God’s view of gender called, ‘Elephants Are Not Birds,’” Cameron told Fox News describing a book that was authored by Laura Perry Smalts, who previously identified as transgender but has since de-transitioned.

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One protester was a pro-LGBTQ pastor. He shared tips on Facebook for those who wanted to protest Cameron’s future events. He said that faith-based events can be “triggering” and parents and their children who attend these story hour events are in “cults.” Clint Schnekloth, a pastor, is calling other Christian cult members for coming out to a Christian-based story hour. Interesting. And really creepy.

This is how progressives protest. They try to cancel events with which they do not agree, or are offended. The desire to cancel faith-based events is strong with some. The threats of violence are unacceptable. Whatever happened to the “Love lives here” crowd? Acceptance only goes one way.

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