An upcoming book-reading event featuring actor Kirk Cameron and advocate for Riley Gaines has been prohibited from taking place at the Madison Public Library in Alabama. The event, organized by Moms for Liberty and scheduled for August 5, faced cancellation due to capacity issues, as stated in a press release by the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library.
Alongside Cameron, Gaines, known for her opposition to men’s participation in women’s sports, was also set to participate in the event.
The press release from the library read, “The Moms for Liberty organization had planned to feature Brave Books in a meeting room at Madison Public Library. Due to the event’s anticipated attendance increasing beyond the library’s capacity, the library will be unable to host the event. Initially, the organizers of the event reported 20 attendees to library officials. On Tuesday, the library learned that event organizers are now expecting over 300 people, a number that far exceeds any meeting room capacity within the Huntsville-Madison County Library System.”
The press release continued, “After discussing the logistics of the event with both the library and the event organizer, the Madison City Police Department and the Madison City Fire Marshal have recommended that the event be held at an alternate location.”
First Liberty Institute’s senior counsel, Jeremy Dys, wrote a letter to Cindy Hewitt, the executive director of Huntsville-Madison County Libraries, asserting that the event featuring Kirk Cameron and Riley Gaines was canceled by Hewitt.
Dys claimed that Hewitt cited “security concerns” stemming from a potential protest involving Mr. Cameron and cited the event’s supposed exceeding of the library’s capacity as reasons for the abrupt cancellation.
He cautioned that legal action might follow if the event is not permitted to proceed at the library.
BREAKING: We just sent a letter asking the Madison Public Library to reschedule the Christian story hour event with our client, @KirkCameron and @BraveBooksUS. Discriminating against religious groups is ILLEGAL. They deserve equal treatment. https://t.co/KDXkZdjAn5
— First Liberty Institute (@1stLiberty) August 3, 2023
Dys said, “We write to inform you that, should you persist in the cancellation of this event, you will have engaged in unlawful and unconstitutional religious viewpoint and content discrimination. We, therefore, request that you respond by noon Friday, August 4, 2023, confirming Brave Books and Mr. Cameron may utilize the Madison Public Library to host the ‘See You at the Library’ event on Saturday, August 5, 2023. Should you refuse, we are prepared to vindicate this violation of our client’s civil rights in court.”
