A northern Tennessee library director was fired last week after he reportedly attempted to sabotage a library event with Kirk Cameron.
A northern Tennessee library director was fired last week after he reportedly attempted to sabotage a library event with Kirk Cameron.
According to CBN News, Sumner County Library board members voted 4-3 to fire Allan Morales. The decision was confirmed by Sumner County Mayor John Isbell, who said that Morales’ firing was “related to the Kirk Cameron event.”
Cameron appeared at the library event on February 25 with former University of Kentucky women’s swimmer Riley Gaines and Duck Dynasty star Missy Robertson.
During last week’s episode of the Unashamed with Phil & Jase Robertson podcast, Robertson noted that while Morales was initially excited about the event, he changed his mind after learning about Cameron’s Christian and conservative views.
“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,” Robertson explained.
Gaines recalled Morales being loud while Cameron was attempting to film a promotional video before the library opened for the event. She noted, however, that she wasn’t sure if it was intentional.
Gaines, a resident of Sumner County, also noted that she became frustrated with some library employees whom she thought were intentionally making loud noises during the filming session. Robertson, too, recalled employees making loud noises, including playing loud music, banging books and kicking cabinets.
“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,” Cameron wrote on Facebook following the event.
Morales’ sister, Marilyn Kleist, argued that her brother’s firing “was not right.”
“That is shocking, and it’s sad, and it has literally divided a community,” she said. “It has, you know, branded the library team in ways that only told one side of the story.”
Just days before the event, Morales expressed his concern to a representative of Brave Books.
“Our invitation was sincere to read a book during our story time. We guard that time because it is for small children and not adults. We work hard at not promoting any agendas left or right,” his email, dated February 22, reads.
Following his termination, Morales says he is moving on.
“I just have chosen not to say anything,” he told The Tennessean. “I don’t want to add to all this. I’m hoping now that they have fired me that the community can move on. There’s not much of a point to giving my side. At end of the day, I don’t hate anybody.”
Gaines, for her part, took issue with how the ordeal and subsequent firing took place.
“It’s not an accurate representation of Hendersonville, Gallatin, or Sumner County,” Gaines 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,” she said.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Paul Morigi/Stringer
