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Man burns 100 library books on Jewish, African American, LGBTQ topics, officials say
- In early April 2025, a man from Beachwood, Ohio, borrowed around 100 books focused on Jewish, African American, and LGBTQ history from the local public library and later shared footage online showing him setting the books on fire.
- The man obtained the books through proper library procedures after applying for a card on April 2 and was reportedly motivated to learn about LGBTQ topics due to his son's identity.
- The social media site where the video was posted, Gab.com, is known for hosting extremist content including conspiracy theorists and white nationalists, drawing concern and condemnation from local leaders and groups.
- Ohio Senator Kent Smith called the act “fundamentally un-American” and said it violates the marketplace of ideas, while the books are valued at roughly $1,700 and were not overdue at the time of the incident.
- Local police consider the matter civil for now, with the man potentially banned from the library property, and community organizations planning a press event to denounce hate and censorship in response to the incident.
29 Articles
29 Articles
Ohio man burns dozens of books of Black, Jewish, queer history from Ohio library: police
BEACHWOOD, Ohio (WJW) - A man who checked out dozens of books from the Beachwood Public Library allegedly burned them in a social media video, the Beachwood Police Department said. According to the police department, the man came into the Beachwood Public Library on Shaker Boulevard on April 2 and applied for a library card. Investigators said he then checked out 50 books "on topics including Jewish history, African American history and LGBTQ ed…
Man burns library books on Jewish history, including Anne Frank's diary, in Jewish suburb of Cleveland - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
A man checked out dozens of books on Jewish history and other marginalized topics from a public library in a heavily Jewish Cleveland suburb before filming himself apparently setting fire to them, local authorities said. Local Jewish leaders decried the incident at the Beachwood Public Library, appearing alongside other interfaith leaders at a press conference Monday outside a local church to denounce the burnings. “Whoever perpetuated the idea …
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