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Published: March 18, 2008
“They regard child pornography as free speech”
Woman fired for telling police library patron was viewing naked boys on free public computer
News Release from Campaign for Children and Families
For Immediate Release
March 14, 2008
Librarians across the United States should report child pornography to law enforcement despite their supervisors’ reluctance to protect children, said Campaign for Children and Families, a leading California-based pro-family organization.
 County librarian assistant Brenda Biesterfeld of Lindsay was fired after disobeying her supervisor’s order not to report a man who was looking at naked boys on the library’s public computer. She called police anyway, who, during his next library visit, caught 39-year-old Donny Lynn Chrisler allegedly viewing child pornography. Chrisler was arrested March 4 on suspicion of violating child pornography and obscenity laws. Police also say they found “kiddie porn” in Chrisler’s trailer home.
Nonetheless, Biesterfeld was fired. “She kind of threatened me,” Biesterfeld said, describing her conversation with Judi Hill, her supervisor. “She said I worked for the county, and when the county tells you to do something, you do what the county tells you. She said I had no loyalty to the county. I told her I was a mother and a citizen also, and not just a county employee.”
Biesterfeld was fired on March 6. A letter from Tulare County Librarian Brian Lewis said probationary employees can be terminated at any time if they don't perform at a level “necessary for fully satisfactory performance in the employee's position.” But a Lindsay city councilwoman said six weeks before the firing that she was told Biesterfeld was doing a great job.
On March 14, the Lindsay City Council sent a letter to Tulare county supervisors complaining about Judi Hill’s “abrupt, demanding and demeaning” phone call to a police captain telling him to call off his pornography investigation because the city had “no business interfering” with library matters.
“The liberals who run the library system in America must stop violating the federal law because they regard child pornography as free speech,” said Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families. “All pornography is immoral, but possession of child pornography is a federal crime. No librarian should fear reporting child pornography to the police, but libraries that fail to report these crimes should be very afraid. Brenda Biesterfeld will get her job back, and more.”
Campaign for Children and Families and Liberty Counsel, a nationwide legal organization, have been in contact with Biesterfeld. Liberty Counsel has agreed to represent Biesterfeld at no charge.
The American Library Association does not teach librarians to report child pornography to the police. Instead, the association has vigorously opposed all congressional efforts to restrict pornography, obscenity and child pornography for more than a decade.
Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 8:24 AM By Barbara
With computers in just about every home, why do we still allow our tax dollars to be wasted on building more libraries? Just wondering.
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 8:39 AM By Joe
This woman needs to file a wistleblowers case ASAP!
Allowing the man to continue the activity made the library just as liable!
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:53 AM By John
Brenda Biesterfeld should be given a medal for her insistence to do what was right over the objections of Judi Hill. Judi Hill should be charged with aiding and covering up a federal crime. Please pray for our society.
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:02 AM By Margie
Reminds me of the nine ways of being an accessory to another' sin:
1. By counsel
2. By command
3. By consent
4. By provocation
5. By praise or flattery
6. By CONCEALMENT
7. By partaking
8. By SILENCE
9. By DEFENSE OF THE SINFUL ACTION
It has been my observation that many prefer the security of their employment to the security of eternal life. May this librarian be blessed for her faithfulness to the good and the decent and for her courage to light a candle to dispel the darkness in our libraries today.
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:32 AM By Camille
You can thank the ACLU and their support of "free speech" rights for protecting internet porn viewers and purveyors. In their collective mindset the only items that should be restricted are religious and moral presentations.
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:41 AM By Heime
When you disobey your boss, this happens. She should have taken this issue one management level above her immediate supervisor if she was not getting a proper response. Calling the police on her own as a representative of the library was not the proper action. This has nothing to do with morality but rather following proper procedures in the workplace.
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:51 AM By Betty
I'm with you Margie/ I think this librarian should be blessed for her faithfulness to the good and the decent and for her courage. I wish more people had the same kind of courage and I hope she gets her job back and more, Shame on Judi Hill.
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:03 AM By JimAroo
When the police caught the man, they arrested him. In their professional judgment, he was committing a crime. So the lady is fired because she reported a crime being committed in the library???? You don't have to be irrational to be a liberal but it makes it a lot easier.
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:29 AM By Jack Ripper
Why are we surprised? In a Country where millions of unborn children are slaughtered every year?
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 12:08 PM By Fr. M.P.
Pray for this brave woman who stood up for morals and decency.
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 12:13 PM By Vincent DiCarlo
Many of the libraries in this country are controlled by people who think they are doing a public service and upholding free speech by supplying pornography to children. One of the books they are proudest of keeping in the "Young Adults" (12 and up) section of your local library is Judy Blume's "Forever." If you don't believe me, are over 18, and have a strong stomach, just look it up on Amazon, and use the "Search inside this book" feature to search for "ralph". Then try talking to your local librarian about removing it from the collection for 12 year olds, and prepare to be enlightened.
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 12:15 PM By Lisa T.
I wonder if this child rapist in this article~~~http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22956688/~~~~~~~~~~~~ had viewed pornography on one of the computers in the library where he raped a 6 yr. old boy?
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 1:28 PM By The other Mike
Judi Hill is a hero and did the right thing in protecting the innocent children at the other end of the library. I shudder to think what 39-year-old Donny Lynn Chrisler was capable of doing in the children's section of the library after getting amped up on homo kiddie porn, first at home and then in public. Of course, not all homosexuals are child molestors, just this guy, Nambla, ACLU, ALA, ......
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 2:33 PM By The other Mike
CORRECTION REQUIRED! My 1:28 post should have proclaimed Brenda Biesterfeld the hero, not Judi Hill. The corrected post is: Brenda Biesterfeld is a hero and did the right thing in protecting the innocent children at the other end of the library. I shudder to think what 39-year-old Donny Lynn Chrisler was capable of doing in the children's section of the library after getting amped up on homo kiddie porn, first at home and then in public. Of course, not all homosexuals are child molestors, just this guy, Nambla, ACLU, ALA, ......
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 2:55 PM By John L. Sillasen
So the supervisor, guilty of a felony coverup is out on bail now? Or, never charged?
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 4:52 PM By Bob L
Am I mistaken or is there a law mandating child pornography as a felony? Where does the American Library Assn. find that Freedom of Speech is involved in 'kiddie porn'? God save us from the idiots making these decisions.
Lindsay's right down the road from home(Fresno) & one of the local radio talk show commentators said he's getting 90-95% vote for Brenda to sue her supervisor as well as the City , County, & Am. Library Assn. Why not, our citizenry sues for everything else!!!
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 6:32 PM By racjax
Several years ago I was in the private lounge for Swiss Air in Zurich's airport. There was a young teenage boy looking at porn sites in full view of everyone including his (muslim)parents. I approached the airline rep at the desk to complain and she just shrugged her shoulders and said that the boy had the right to look at whatever he wanted; that they did not control the computer. I commend Brenda Biesterfeld for taking action when needed knowing that she could pay alarge price. May God bless her.
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:37 PM By Observer
~~~~~~~~~Memorare to our Lady of the Most Precious Blood~~~~~~~~~~~
Remember, O Lady of the Most Precious Blood, the Sorrowful Shedding of the Blood of your Jesus and the Most bitter tears you mingled with His Redeeming Blood. In the Name of the Blood of the Victim of Reparation of the Holy Tears of the Seven Swords which pierced thy heart, by which you became this Co-Redemtrix of the human race and the Queen of Martyrs, have pity on my soul and all of its miseries; have pity upon the sinners and ALL OF THE INNOCENT SOULS THEY SEEK TO PERVERT and have pity on the poor, the sick, the infirm, on all of their sufferings, both physical and moral, and have pity on the agonizing, especially, those who except for thine intercession, would leave this world, without being purified in the Blood of the Lamb. It's by the Blood of your dying Son, by His inexpressive sufferings, by His last plea to the Father in favor of mankind, by His ignominious death, and by the perpetuation of His Sacrifice on Catholic Altars; I beg not to reject my supplication, but graciously, to hear Them. AMEN
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Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:34 PM By one catholic
heime, read your comment. methinks that the only reason that anything at all was done was because the librarian called the police. How many "other" good librarians complain to their supervisors, and the next up supervisor ...with no results. It is not just about being a "good" employee here. What you do if you were in nazi Germany in ww2? Been a good employee?
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Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 6:03 AM By John Andersen
It is encouraging to see so many people disturbed by the this incident. As the article's closing paragraph states: The American Library Association has BEEN OPPOSING any filtering whatsoever for years. I am not aware of any efforts at this time to protest the ALA. In years past, apologists for the ALA would argue that a few legit sites would be blocked in filtering (so what, I say), and would ask quixotic questions like, "Well, is a Renoir nude art or pornography?" I have not done it in the past, but the next time I visit the local library, I will be sure to tell the librarian how much I disagree with the ALA.
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Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 7:55 AM By Michael
In reading this article I had a question. Why are there not antipornographic filters on the computers at the public libraries?. Would that be so difficult to do? Would that somehow interfere with research being done there?This must be a common problem if there are no filters. Just a thought and a concern given this situation and the exposure of all age groups to the public libraries' computers and content.
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Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 11:15 AM By Lisa T.
What I want to know is, If this guy had just been looking at adult porn in the library would that have been okay, the police would not have been able to arrest him?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I agree with Michael, there should be antipornographic filters in the Library. If perverted library patrons are allowed to view pornorgraphy on public library computers what's to stop them from getting aroused and masturbating in public or worse choosing an innocent child as I metioned in my previous post to molest?
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Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 11:19 AM By Heime
One catholic: You are missing my point. She would have been in a better position to keep her job if she would have attempted to go to the next level of management after her rebuff by her supervisor. Whether it was child porn, drugs or some other matter it does not make a difference. The perp was caught on his next visit, so she had time to up the chain of command in the county to voice her complaint about her immediate supervisor's opinion. It is too bad she was fired but she wasn't just a citizen but a public employee while she was in the library observing this creep. In law, the ends sometimes don't justify the means.
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Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 11:57 AM By John Andersen
Michael, Lisa T: The ALA has fought filters for years -- calling it censorship. This is how bizarre the "progressive (liberal)" mentality has gotten. Here is a FUN TEST. Go down to your local library, verify there are no filters, then ask the head librarian why there aren't any. It would be interesting to hear what reactions people get!
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Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 3:53 PM By John L. Sillasen
Michael, filters can be circumvented.
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Posted Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:19 AM By Sandy Brady
As a librarian and ALA member, a few comments…
--Brenda Biesterfeld did the right thing. She should not have been fired for reporting this man to the police.
--ALA does NOT oppose restrictions to child pornography and I don’t know of anyone who regards child pornography as free speech.
--Librarians DO NOT supply pornography to children.
--“Why are there not antipornographic filters on the computer” honestly, they don’t work very well. They often filter material they shouldn’t and don’t always filter material they should!
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Posted Thursday, March 20, 2008 4:08 PM By Michael
Thank you for the above explanations. Even so, would it not be worth the effort to use the best known filters to the highest level possible. Surely this would dissuade many from inadvertently stumbling onto or even intentionally searching out these websites. Does not the benefit outweigh the loss of material that might be filtered in the process?The common good would seem to be served by using filters even if not yet perfect. The librarian surely is not meant to be the gatekeeper of the computer content and yet the material available to all should be that which serves the common good, especially at a Public Library. It would be comforting to know that the ALA agrees with this and is working for this end rather than the opposite impression which was given earlier above.
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Posted Thursday, March 20, 2008 6:24 PM By Tom
That it was a MAN looking at naked BOYS illustrates the critical role pornography (especially child porn) plays in the darker corners of gay culture. It also explains the ready "defense" of such activities in the liberal Bay Area.
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Posted Thursday, March 20, 2008 7:05 PM By John L. Sillasen
One thing that can be done to library computers is to have a monitor system, which could flag a porn site when it is pulled up. Also, personal passwords could be assigned to users, so that they can be identified when connected to porn sites.
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Posted Thursday, March 20, 2008 8:03 PM By John Andersen
Sandy: Thank you for your comments. I believe there are many well-meaning librarians. I beleive the ALA, though, does not exercise good judgement in its refusal to "filter." While I agree that avoiding censorship is good, the fact that many adults view pornography purely for sexual arrousal has NOTHING to do with free speech. NOTHING. Many well-meaning Americans have been duped by the propoganda of "avoiding censorship." Common sense has been lost.
Michael: Very well said. Thank you. For those of you with a few minutes, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/basics/intellectual.cfm to read the ALA's words. Then visit http://www.cwfa.org/articles/2020/CWA/pornography/ for a dose of reality. In my opinion, the ALA has lost its moral compass.
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Posted Friday, March 21, 2008 12:31 AM By The other Mike
Child porn won't be stopped by installing filters on library computers. Why does someone who has plenty of child porn at home risk discovery of his child porn addiction in a public library? A place where children are almost present. Child porn addiction invariably leads to violence against children, and the public library is where children are available. First Amendment free speech protects our right to criticize the government without fear of reprisal, not freedom to publicly express mentally disordered fantasy.
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Posted Friday, March 21, 2008 6:50 AM By John L. Sillasen
Also, sinners incessantly drive to have their sins made the norm of society. This is what the homosexuals are busy doing ... ie, homosexualizing society everywhere they can get away with it ... sort of like painting over a beautiful landscape with a palette of barnyard scrapings. It is the antithesis of a priest going around town blessing people.
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Posted Sunday, March 23, 2008 8:43 AM By Margaret Mary
Big Brother County has now spoken. I can just see the screaming headlines right now with Big Brother County announcing Pornographic movies now coming to a public library near you. An (FS) Free Speech Rating for all these movies that are shown. Any Librarian or staff that complains will be fired immediately. After all this is the land of the free and brave.
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Posted Wednesday, May 14, 2008 4:31 AM By Kevin
I am in England, and every now and again I stumble on these kind of stories, detailing the madness of American Laws. You have a federal law forbiding it, but an amendment that allows it. You have a good country, full of brilliant people, yet allow guns and porn to be sold on every street corner, and beurocratic people can fire someone for allowing a person to view illegal porn in a public place (and a govenment building no less!). Seems pretty messed up to me. Sorry, but it's days like this I am glad you won the Boston Tea Party :-)
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