Librarian fired after reporting child porn

Story by AFA Journal Staff. Sources cited for News of Interest indicate source of basic information only. April 2008

  One California county may be facing a lawsuit by former librarian Brenda Biesterfeld, who said she was fired after alerting authorities that a patron was viewing child pornography on library computers.
  In March Biesterfeld was fired from her job as a librarian at the Tulare County Library only days after notifying police that she caught 39-year-old Donny Chrisler downloading child porn onto public-use computers. Officials who operate the library in the city of Lindsay claimed Biesterfeld did not follow county policy, so they terminated her position.
  Initially Biesterfeld told her supervisor, Judi Hill, who instructed her to issue Chrisler a warning. After reconsidering later that night, Biesterfeld called police the next day. They told her to call if Chrisler returned.
  A few days later, Chrisler did just that, and Biesterfeld noticed he was once again viewing child porn. She notified police, who came and arrested Chrisler on the spot.
  The police also confiscated the library’s computer that had been used by Chrisler. Supervisor Hill confronted police, accusing them of interfering where they did not belong and assuring them that county librarians were handling the matter internally.
  After police explained that, since federal law had been violated, it was now a legal matter in their hands, Hill demanded to know who reported the incident. Even though the police protected Biesterfeld’s identity, she told Hill what she had done. Biesterfeld was fired two days later.
  A search warrant turned up thousands of images of child pornography on Chrisler’s home computer. He is currently behind bars, awaiting trial.
  People have rallied to Biesterfeld’s cause. An organization called Family Friendly Libraries presented the single mother with an award commending her “for courageously acting on her conscience” to protect children from exposure to and exploitation by child pornography. Biesterfeld was also honored during a regular meeting of the Lindsay City Council.
  Steve Crampton, an attorney with Liberty Counsel, is representing Biesterfeld in an attempt to get her job back. The legal group is also requesting a formal apology from the Lindsay library officials and said it is prepared to file a lawsuit if they do not comply.
  Crampton said, “We’ve discovered that libraries – at one time perhaps considered the safest place for our kids – are not safe at all.”
  www.onenewsnow.com, 3/20/08, 4/1/08