Man accused of burning 100 library books on Jewish, African American, LGBTQ+ topics
Man accused of burning 100 library books on Jewish, African American, LGBTQ+ topics
An Ohio man has drawn widespread backlash after he reportedly checked out and then burned 100 books on Jewish history, African American history and LGBTQ+ education.
The man took the books from the Beachwood branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL) in early April, only to later post a video of himself burning the books on social media, according to a May 2 police report viewed by USA TODAY.
Democratic state Senator Kent Smith confirmed the subject matter of the books in a May 9 press release, saying, "I condemn this act, not only because it is a crime against our institutions and community, but also because it is fundamentally un-American."
Local news sources, Cleveland.com, WKYC, Fox8 and 19 News, reported that the man had obtained a library card from the Beachwood Library on April 2 and promptly withdrew 50 books on Jewish, African American and LGBTQ+ topics. He returned on April 10 to check out 50 more, telling a librarian that his son was a member of the LGBTQ+ community and that he was looking to learn more, per local reports.
Though the librarian reportedly found his behavior odd, he was not overly threatening, she told police in a report reviewed by local news outlets. The Princeton University Bridging Divides Initiative, a non-partisan research group that tracks political violence and hate crimes in the U.S., contacted the library about videos it had spotted online that appeared to have CPPL stickers.
One video, made on April 3, reportedly showed the trunk of a car filled with books, accompanied by a caption about "cleansing" the libraries. Another video after the April 10 visit showed the books being burned, per local reports.
The library made a report with Beachwood police and said it would send a bill for the $1,700 the books were worth once they became overdue.
The Beachwood Police Department is actively investigating the incident, according to local reports.
"Our department stands against antisemitism and all acts of bias-motivated crimes,' Beachwood Police Chief Dan Grispino said in a statement shared with several news stations and papers. "We are committed to vigorously investigating and prosecuting any hate-motivated incidents within the City of Beachwood. Our priority is to maintain a community that can thrive without the fear of threats of intimidation or violence."
The Cuyahoga County Public Library, Princeton University Bridging Divides Initiative and Beachwood Police Department did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.
Local faith group plans to donate 1,000 books
Local faith leaders and members of the Interfaith Group Against Hate held a press conference on May 12, where they announced plans to collect and donate 1,000 books back to the library, or 10 books per book burned.
"Our goal is to collect a thousand new books that lift up Black, Jewish, and LGBTQ+ voices and experiences, and to share those books in libraries and community organizations and congregations all over our county," Rev. Ryan Wallace of Fairmount Presbyterian Church told reporters at the conference, reported WKYC.
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