Sparking outrage in a small U.S. town, a public librarian was fired for reporting a man who regularly used the facility’s computers to view child porn because it violated the man’s privacy rights.
The county library aide (Brenda Biesterfeld) in the central California town of Lindsay first spotted the 39-year-old man staring at photos of naked boys on February 28. Sickened by what she had witnessed, the aide called her supervisor, who gave the man a note ordering him to stop.
The library supervisor refused to call authorities, but when the aide caught the man viewing the same kind of images a few days later, she went to police behind her boss’s back. The man (Donny Lynn Chrisler) subsequently got arrested and the public computer was confiscated as evidence. Police also found a number of explicit images at his home.
Instead of being rewarded for reporting an atrocious use of taxpayer equipment, Biesterfeld was fired for violating the man’s privacy rights. In fact, the supervisor who refused to report the man, Judi Hill, made an angry call to police after the arrest accusing officers of violating Chrisler’s privacy rights.
Shock ensued among residents and local lawmakers in the tiny city of about 11,000 residents. Members of the City Council sent a hard-hitting letter to the Tulare County officials that operate the library system and residents have held vigils supporting the fired aide. One city official said alarm bells really went off when he heard of a library supervisor questioning the right of the police department to confiscate a computer and investigate a crime.
While the right to privacy in America’s public libraries has become a heated and controversial issue after the 2001 terrorist attacks, one lawyer who specializes in the field points out that child pornography is not protected by the Constitution or the Supreme Court.
Comments
Ethical Dilemma
It makes sense that Ms Biesterfeld was honored by the city for reporting criminal activities, and fired by the county for violating a librarian's code of conducts.
She can be either a hero or a librarian, but not both. She should seek employment elsewhere.
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/codeofethics/codeethics.cfm
Library porn
I must ask the American people WHAT HAS OUR COUNTRY TURNED IN TO?? Mrs. Biesterfeld possibly saved some ones young son a life time of heart ache,years of therophy,or possibly suicide. I for one THANK MRS.Biesterfeld for her actions, for standing up and doing what was right! Thank you from Mrs.Simon Grandmother of 9
Simon says get a clue:)
Since child porn is NOT protected under the Constitution or by the Supreme Court, she is both a hero and a librarian. It is illegal to be in the possession of child pornography and it is a felony. Therefore, she intervened during the commission of a CRIME. Child porn is NOT victimless; it's similar to dealing in stolen propery, but of course much worse. Without the market, there would be no child rape for these magazines, websites, etc. Nobody has the right to "privacy' when they are in the commission of a crime!
Post new comment