Huntington Beach’s upcoming special election that could decide which books are available in city libraries took a controversial turn this week, with some parents raising objections to opposition signs.
“Protect Our Kids From Porn – NO on A&B,” reads signs placed throughout the city
Those signs were funded – in part – by a sitting city council member, and were commissioned by another city council member.
Now a host of parents are raising complaints online, saying the ads are forcing them to have uncomfortable conversations with their young children about what porn is.
The ads are aimed at the upcoming special election in Huntington Beach scheduled for June 10, where voters are set to decide if city leaders can continue their restricted section in the library and start a book review committee.
To see a list of the books in the restricted section, click here.
The measure could ban city council members from trying to privatize library operations again.
[Read: Surf City Continues Struggling Over the Future of Library]
Taryn Palumbo, a former city library commissioner appointed by former City Councilwoman Rhonda Bolton, said her six-year-old son who just learned to read asked her what porn was when they drove past one of the signs.
“I’m not happy that I even had to have that question asked,” Palumbo said in a Wednesday interview. “(The signs) are huge, they’re in your face, and unlike a book which I can choose to show or not show my children, it’s unavoidable. It’s on every corner.”
Desiree DeLattre, a Huntington Beach mom of a two-year-old and four-year-old, said she’s heard similar complaints from parents in an interview with Voice of OC.
“My first reaction was ‘thank goodness my kids can’t read yet,” DeLattre said. “But I thought about all the kids who can and felt mortified for these parents and knowing how different their mornings would be.”
DeLattre says she regularly takes her kids to the library for story readings, and that she’s never seen any books that raised concerns for her the way the new signs did.
“It’s my job as a parent to pick books for my kids that I feel are appropriate and understandable for their age,” DeLattre said. “I’ve never come across any of the books mentioned, nor have I seen them within reach of my kids.”
She also noted that many of her friends with kids who could read had a much different morning commute.
“It’s kind of turned from maybe something they would prepare for in the future and deal with when their kids were older, to now this sense of panic,” DeLattre said. “I’m on my morning commute and now I have to explain what porn is? That’s so unfair.”
Kaitlin Jue-Mendoza said that was the case for her the day after Easter, driving her son to school at 8 a.m. when they saw the sign near their home.
“That’s not the discussion I wanted to have at 8 a.m. on a Monday,” Jue-Mendoza said in a Wednesday interview. “I can shield my son from things I find appropriate or inappropriate, but I can’t shield him from a sign or looking out the window.”
City Councilman Chad Williams, who runs the fundraising committee that paid for the signs, said “I’m not going to back down,” when asked about the concerns from some parents, claiming there were more graphic problems in the childrens’ section of the library.
“We have legitimate pornography, far worse than just word porn,” Williams said. “We have legitimate pornography that tax dollars are being spent on and provided into our public library in sections where minors have access.”
He added that his primary concerns were with books that provided instructions on how to perform oral sex and anal penetration.
“There is a make believe story that everyone’s upset about books like the book called ‘Everybody Poops.’ Nobody cares about that one,” Williams said. “This is about books that instruct kids how to stick things up where they poop.”
Palumbo disagreed with Williams, noting there was no porn in the library and that if kids did want to find porn, they’d have a much easier time on the internet.
“I think the idea that kids are not going to be introduced to this information because a single book might be pulled from the library is absurd. We know the internet is out there and is probably less educational,” Palumbo said.
Williams also noted that their signs have been vandalized repeatedly, noting at least eight were ripped down or damaged by residents.
“That’s messed up,” Williams said. “Those are people’s hard earned dollars. You don’t just do that.”
A fundraising committee headed by Williams has already raised over $53,000 in under two weeks to oppose the measures, paying to produce and put up the signs across the city.
To review city campaign finance information, click here.
According to public records, the largest donors include Brian Thienes, a retired businessman who lives in town, and Councilman Butch Twining’s business, Rubicon Management Associates.
Jessica Cuchilla, a spokesperson for the Huntington Beach Police Department, confirmed that two people were cited for vandalizing political signs in the city, but could not confirm the content of the signs that were damaged.
While public records indicate the Yes on A&B spending committee has raised over $23,000, mostly in small donations from local residents and a $2,000 donation from the League of Women Voters, it’s unclear if they’ve yet to put up signs.
The city is also currently facing a lawsuit from the ACLU over their existing restricted section, which holds seven books.
The Huntington Beach City Council’s next meeting will be on Tuesday, at the central library, at 6 p.m.
Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter and corps member with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him at [email protected].
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