Tennessee library director fired after dispute with Kirk Cameron

News

from Catherine Donlevy

March 17, 2023 | 9:25 p.m

A Tennessee library director has been fired after actor and writer Kirk Cameron accused him of “bad” behavior at a Christian children’s reading event.

The Sumner County Library Board suspended Alan Morales from his post at the Hendersonville library on Wednesday in a 4-3 vote over the “Kirk Cameron incident,” the Tennessean reported.

Morales allegedly began objecting to the Feb. 25 event — where the “Growing Pains” actor will read from his spiritual children’s book “As You Grow Up” — as soon as he found out who Cameron was, a representative for Brave Books told The Post.

The director is said to have told the publishing company, which teamed up with Cameron on the book, that he was “concerned that you are bringing traffic to my library and all the other things that come with that. That’s not going to happen.”

Brave Books said Morales threatened to cancel the event — which also featured former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines and Missy Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” — out of concern that the library would not have room to accommodate the expected large crowd.

In an email obtained by the Tennessean, Morales tried to convince the publisher to move the event to a church in town, a proposal that was ultimately rejected.

“Our invitation was sincere to read a book during our story,” Morales told a Brave Books representative in a Feb. 22 email obtained by The Tennessean.

“We keep this time because it is for young children, not for adults. We work hard not to promote any programs left or right.

Morales and his team continued to be rude to Cameron, Robertson and Gaines during the event and even left parents and children waiting outside in the rain for a while, Brave Books claims.

The event took place at the Hendersonville Library as planned, where the children happily sat on the floor in a packed room.

“Despite the rain and an unkind pushback (by a disgruntled librarian), an OVERWHELMING crowd of families, mayors, county commissioners and celebrities welcomed and joined us at the library in Hendersonville, TN. to sing the national anthem, pledge allegiance to the flag, pray and teach faith in God and moral values ​​to our children,” Cameron wrote in a Facebook post three days after the event.

Gaines — who made headlines by speaking out against allowing transgender athletes to compete — told the publication that the tension between Morales and Cameron was palpable leading up to and throughout the event.

Cameron accused Morales of talking too loudly during a promotional session in the library, although the swimmer is not sure if Morales did it on purpose.

“It’s not an accurate representation of Hendersonville, Gallatin or Sumner County,” said Gaines, a Sumner County native.

“I hate that this led to termination. I don’t know if it’s politically motivated. There were bomb threats, lots of things going on. I don’t know if this is an accurate representation of him.

Hendersonville police arrested Mark Frackle, 49, on Thursday on charges he made bomb threats last month and repeatedly harassed library staff from his Connecticut home.

He sent at least 14 emails in a short period of time threatening to “death and blow up the building,” police said.

The defeated former director did not say whether he felt any rift with the actor, but wished to put the incident behind him.

“I just chose not to say anything,” Morales said. “I don’t want to add to all that. Hopefully now that I’ve been fired the community can move on. It doesn’t make much sense to give my side. After all, I don’t hate anyone.