Who is Tim Rogers?
His previous position was as executive director with The Metropolitan Library in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma.
Jacksonville hired him after they fired him.
The Metropolitan Library Commission voted Thursday August 25, 2017 to end its employment of executive director Tim Rogers effective immediately.
The decision to end Rogers’ contract was part of an evaluation process, that started with a survey that went out to about 500 employees of the library system, and ended with Commission’s action. A quorum of 14 present voted unanimously to terminate Rogers. ~Oklahoma City Free Press
He was hired as Director of JPL in January 2018.
Under his predecessor’s (Barbara Gubbin) leadership JPL was named Florida’s 2017 Library of the year by the Florida Library Association and Gubbin was chosen by the American Library Association to receive the 2017 Ernest A. DiMattia, Jr. Award for Innovation and Service to Community and Profession.
Under Director Rogers’s leadership Library of the Year honors went to Largo Public Library in 2018 and to Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library in 2019.
As for Director Rogers and the LGBTQ community. Trouble first began after he cancelled LGBT Book Club at all Jacksonville Public Libraries. That decision brought in the HRC (Human Rights Commission) which oversees Jacksonville’s Human Rights Ordinance. After mediation it was decided each branch could decide whether to host a LGBT Book Club, or not, as well as whether to participate in Pride Month, or not.
Willowbranch Branch Library chose both and “Storybook Pride Prom” was born.
The “Storybook Pride Prom” dance for teenagers ages 14 to 18 was scheduled for Friday at the Willowbranch Branch Library on Park Street in Riverside. “Come dressed inspired by your favorite book character; casual, formal, or in drag — whatever makes you feel great. Be you!” a flyer for the event read.
100 teenagers signed up to attend and all was well.
Over the weekend Ohio based The Activist Mommy – Elizabeth Johnston, a self titled Activist Vlogger, christian extremist/homophobic hate monger decided to sick her cult on the “Storybook Pride Prom”.
Director Rogers didn’t need much of a push to cancel the event and Johnston was more than happen to oblige, urging her followers to call and complain.
At 11:02 this morning Director Rogers issued the following statement via JPL’s facebook page.
After careful and extensive deliberation, the library has decided to cancel the Storybook Pride Prom scheduled for Friday, June 28 at the Willowbranch Branch Library. While the planning team did a remarkable job putting together a program that would have provided a great experience for our teen customers, the co-opting of the event by others who wish to use it for their own purposes has created a situation in which the library is not confident that it will be 100% prepared to provide a safe, secure environment for customers, staff, volunteers, contractors, protesters and active supporters, and most of all for the teens themselves.
We sincerely appreciate the multitude of expressions of support from the community who appreciated the library’s intention to engage with teens in a new way, in a demonstration of the library as a place for learning and fun—a place where friends come together for conversation and something as simple as a dance without the labels and judgement that are too often a part of everyday life. It is unfortunate that this event became associated with political statement and shows of activism, as those are not part of the library’s mission in any way.
Jacksonville Public Library remains open to all and will continue to create programs and provide materials on all topics to enable everyone to grow and learn—children, teens and adults. Thank you for your time and attention.
One line stood out in particular; “…the library is not confident that it will be 100% prepared to provide a safe, secure environment …”
Please note, JASMYN, a local nonprofit organization for LGBTQ youth, has hosted similar prom events over the past 12-14 years without incident.
Also worth noting, the event had off duty JSO officers and private security scheduled to be on duty.
What could the Director be so concerned about that he would cancel the event?
Surely if he had such concerns he would have reached out to the Mayor’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office. I mean, come on, Jacksonville has played host to Presidents, International stars, athletes, musicians, composers and the Super Bowl, arguably one of the most security intensive events in the world.
100 kids in a library should have been a walk in the park. But these were LGBTQ kids.
Within 10 minutes of the Library posting the cancellation I sent the following in an email to Director Rogers as well as placed two calls to his office asking for comment on the cancellation.
“Director Rogers, Did you request additional help and or security from the Mayor’s Office and or the Sheriff’s Office before you cancelled the Storybook Pride Prom at Willowbranch Branch Library, in part because “…the library is not confident that it will be 100% prepared to provide a safe, secure environment…”or did you make the decision on your own without input from them?”
I have yet to hear back from him.
I also contacted both the Mayor’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office with the following;
“Director Rogers of the JPL cancelled Storybook Pride Prom at Willowbranch Branch Library, in part because “…the library is not confident that it will be 100% prepared to provide a safe, secure environment…” Our question is whether the Mayor’s Office/Sheriff’s Office was contacted or otherwise asked for input or help by Director Rogers before he made his decision.
Within minutes I received an email from Nikki Kimbleton, Director of Public Affairs.
“The Mayor’s office was not involved with planning this event or the cancellation. This was Director Rogers decision based on the safety of those who would be attending”
Likewise the Sheriff’s Office had not been contacted or otherwise asked for input or help by Director Rogers before he made his decision.
This was confirmed by both JSO media inquires as well as Zone 4 command.
If Director Rogers primary concern was being able to provide a safe and secure environment a reasonable person would expect him to maybe involve the Mayor’s Office but definitely to contact the Sheriff’s Office before canceling the event.
He didn’t do either.
Because that wasn’t his primary concern. He had already tried and failed to remove the LGBT Book Clubs. Remember?
It took weeks to get the book clubs reinstated and only after the HRC (Human Rights Commission) mediated. With less than 4 days before Storybook Pride Prom there was no time for mediation, this time.
This time Director Rogers won.
However, the LGBTQ Community did not lose.
Beatrice Palmer/ BeBe Deluxe was not going to stand by and allow 100 LGBTQ teens to miss out on their prom.
She went to work to find a new venue, same night.
She found 4 churches willing to become the new Storybook Pride Prom location. The new location will be provided to all the teens and their parents who had already reserved a spot for Storybook Pride Prom.
BeBe hasn’t stopped working yet. Plans are being made to continue to offer safe, family friendly events for LGTBQ teens in the future.
“My goal is to make sure that the gay and trans kids have somebody looking out for them and somebody telling them that they’re not inappropriate for existing, and making sure that the straight kids that go know how to make the world better for them as well,” she told Angela DiMichele of the TU.
~If I came down too hard on Director Rogers it is only because he has refused all attempts to contact him to get “his side”, if indeed his side differs from what the available evidence suggests. If he does return my emails/phone calls for comment and or elects to answer my questions I will, if any new information he is willing provide dictates, rewrite this article.
Until then, if you would like to send your own questions, he may be reached via email timrogers@coj.net