Library shortens Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace meeting room ban

Trustees revise policy, reject sanctions

DELMAR – At its June 10 board meeting, the Bethlehem Public Library’s Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a revised meeting room policy.  It rejected sanctioning anyone for violating the library’s patron conduct policy relating to a December 5 event and agreed to shorten BNFP’s one year ban on using meeting rooms.

Revised meeting room policy adopted

The new meeting room policy, which will  become effective July 1, went through two comment rounds by library board members,  staff, the public and counsel, sets forth the terms and conditions that library card holders, “community organizations” or other entities may use Library meeting rooms.

Trustee Caroline Brancatella said “community organization” was expanded to include not only 501(c)(3) entities, but entities registered with the NYS Attorney General’s charities bureau or legally formed as an entity under NYS Not for Profit law.  Brancatella said an organization outside this definition can be sponsored by one within it.

BNFP member Leslie Hudson speaking during the public comment session said, “the preposterous rules you’re trying to come up with, you must have been turning yourselves into pretzels to find a way you could just block us and try to make it look legal.”  Hudson left the meeting after speaking and before the Board vote. She called the policy “clearly just an effort to shut down” BNFP.

In an interview after the board meeting, Kirkpatrick said the policy was “in no way drafted to prohibit anybody and particularly BNFP from using the meeting rooms.”  He said if BNFP believes that under the revised policy it cannot on its own book a meeting room, that is not true.

“I’ve done my homework and looked up registered charities.  BNFP is a not for profit corporation founded in New York State,” so it can book rooms under the policy.

Hudson, in an interview, said “if under the new policy we are able to book a room on our own that’s wonderful.  We are registered as a not for profit in New York State so that is wonderful.”

BNFP meeting room bar shortened

Kirkpatrick recommend-ed that in light of the new meeting room policy, the one year ban on BNFP’s meeting room use for selling books on Library property be shortened to coincide with the policy’s July 1 implementation date.

Hudson said, “We are very relieved they came to this conclusion, but I have not received anything in writing yet, so we are waiting to hear that it is true.” She continued to insist BNFP did not sell any books.  “It is a disgrace that they did it in the first place, but we’re glad it’s over,” Hudson said.

As provided by the policy, Kirkpatrick will develop a video policy training module that anyone booking a room must watch. He said he will notify BNFP of his decision shortening the sanction  and make it “crystal clear” to them what the new meeting room policy is.

Hudson said BNFP will continue to hold events at the Library.

Board moves on from complaints

By a six to one vote, the Board also resolved not to impose sanctions on BNFP or other December 5 event attendees for violating the patron conduct policy.  According to the resolution, this decision was made because upon investigation of harassment complaints, it found numerous instances of violations of that policy, but could not identify all those individuals.  Therefore, it could not “equitably impose sanctions against all individuals who acted in violation of that policy.”

Board President Mark Kissinger explained some individuals could be identified because they are known to Trustees or staff, but others could not.  “We felt that to do this equitably, you can’t just say we know you so you are the ones we are going to penalize.”

Asked whether Peled event attendees would be upset by the resolution, Kissinger said, “People will not be happy on either side.  It’s the classic example of good compromise when everyone is unhappy.” He added, “Clearly, there was bad behavior on both sides.  Hopefully, people will move on.”

Hudson said she was not surprised by the decision and “if there was an investigation, it was not sincere.”

Kissinger rejected that assertion.  “The Library went through all the tapes and spent a lot of time on the investigation.”  He did not know how many hours library staff spent on it, but said it was “a very significant amount” by a high ranking library staff member.”

The resolution shows “the Board is ready to move on and get back to the business of the Library,”Kissinger said.  He said the resolution did not involve settlement of any threatened legal action by BNFP.  “They have no case to sue us,” he said.

“There were a lot of complaints on both sides,” Kissinger said.  “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but they are not entitled to their own set of facts.  A lot of the facts thrown around by BNFP are just not correct, so we are ready to move on.”

Hudson said BNFP is also ready to move forward and has no plans to sue the Library.  “We want to move forward with a fresh start but will hold to our standards of speaking the truth,” Hudson said.

“Clearly, they are not about peace.  They are about rabble rousing.  It’s a very misnamed organization,” Kissinger said.  “As a board member and citizen I think what the BNFP did was not peaceful and was meant to cause controversy in the community, but under the old policy there was no way to hold BNFP accountable. But we want to move on.  That is our goal.”

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