Father Says Sons Traumatized by Lesbian Library Book
Article by The Associated PressBentonville, Arkansas
—A Bentonville, Arkansas man is demanding the city pay him $20,000 for the pain and suffering of his sons after they discovered a book on lesbian sex in their local library."[They were] greatly disturbed," said Earl Adams his letter to the city. "[We had] many sleepless nights in our house."
Adams wants $10,000 per child, the maximum allowed under the Arkansas obscenity law.
Adams also wants the city to fire library director Cindy Suter.
The boys, aged 14 and 16, came across the book while the 14-year-old was looking for material on military academies.
The book, The Whole Lesbian Sex Book, by Felice Newman was moved to an inaccessible area of the library after Adams first complained, and then removed altogether following a second complaint from the man.
In a letter to Mayor Bob McCaslin, Adams said the book is "patently offensive and lacks any artistic, literary or scientific value."
A city attorney said that Adams' demand for money is without merit.
The city library board in removing the book said it will look for another volume on lesbians and if something "more appropriate" is not found The Whole Lesbian Sex Book will be returned.
"Any effort to reinstate the book will be met with legal action and protests from the Christian community," Adams stated in an email to the Morning News newspaper.
The paper said that Adams asked to answer questions by email because he said he feared being misquoted.
Meanwhile, Suter has announced her intention to resign effective May 31st, but she told the Morning News the decision had nothing to do with the controversy.
The job is part-time, and she said she needs to devote more time to her business.