California library exposes kids to sexually explicit material, yet denies 'Tiny Patriots Story Time,' group claims
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Navy SEAL wives are fighting on the front lines of the war on Christmas.
Rachel Racz, the founder of Tiny Patriots Story Time, and other parents, claim that the Coronado (California) Public Library has repeatedly refused their efforts to let local veterans read patriotic and family-oriented books to children — including books about Christmas.
The same library has hosted numerous story hours featuring books that, she and other parents claim, promote sexually explicit and pornographic content to minors.
"My intention is to stop being bullied," Racz, an oil-and-gas industry executive and mother of two children, told Fox News Digital on Thursday.
"We’re not a family that backs down from a fight."
Rachel and William Racz of Coronado, California. Rachel is an oil-and-gas industry executive who claims Coronado Public Library has repeatedly denied her group, Tiny Patriots Story Time, opportunities to have veterans read to children, while bombarding children with sexually explicit material. William is a U.S. Navy SEAL. (Courtesy Rachel Racz)
Her husband, U.S. Navy SEAL senior chief petty officer William Racz, has served the nation for 15 years, deploying overseas five different times.
Coronado is the home of several military installations, including the Navy Special Warfare Training Center and its grueling six-month Navy SEAL training program.
"My intention is to stop being bullied. We’re not a family that backs down from a fight." — Rachel Racz
Racz and other Coronado parents claim that the library bombards children with inappropriate and sexually explicit books, at the expense of those celebrating American heritage, faith, patriotism and traditional holidays such as Independence Day and Christmas.
They grew exasperated in June when the library spent the entire month promoting books and offering story hours about sexual exploration for children as young as pre-school age. The books included graphic illustrations of nude adults and human genitalia, plus adults walking naked in public among families and children.
Navy SEAL trainees lock arms upon entering the frigid Pacific waters in this undated photo taken during "Hell Week" at Coronado Naval Amphibious Base in California. Fewer than half the men survive the week to become SEALs. (Joe McNally/Getty Images)
At least one book also introduced children as young as 4 to phrases such as transgender, cisgender and nonbinary.
"This is a patriotic community, with the Fourth of July just around the corner," Jessica Tompane, a mother of three, business owner, and wife of a former Navy SEAL, wrote in June in an email to Coronado Public Library director Shaun Briley.
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"Yet, there are no books on the main display regarding the Fourth of July."
Briley disputed her claim in an email response sent to her on June 16.
"We do celebrate July 4 and have a year-round celebration of military and patriotic themes — demonstrably more than any other library in our region," he wrote.
A general view of the atmosphere as holiday lights decorate Hotel Del Coronado on Dec. 18, 2021 in Coronado, California. (Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)
Racz, Tompane and other parents responded to what they felt was the indignity by launching Tiny Patriots Story Time, in which "local veterans and community volunteers read pro-America, pro-family books to toddlers."
They attempted to host a Veterans Day story hour in November featuring the children's books "Veteran Heroes in Our Neighborhood," "Hero Dad" and "Big-Hearted Charlie Runs the Mile."
"Hanukkah storytime is not a religious storytime … Just as Santa is a cultural not religious figure." — Coronado Public Library
The library said no again, according to Racz.
"They told me it was too dangerous to have veterans read to children without background checks, right after they had reading hours for children showing naked men," she said.
Tiny Patriots Story Time tried to host a Christmas reading this month. Their effort came after the library's Hanukkah celebration, which included a display of recommended books and Hanukkah storytime.
Kirk Cameron is shown leading the "Pledge of Allegiance" at a Taylor, Texas. library book reading in Aug. 2023. (Courtesy Kirk Cameron/Brave Books)
Racz and Tompane were outraged by the library's denial and its response.
"The library as a government agency does not do nor is it allowed to do religious programming," Coronado Public Library wrote in a Facebook post.
It added, "The Hanukkah storytime is not a religious storytime — it is about the culture and traditions of Hanukkah. Just as Santa is a cultural [and] not religious figure."
Tiny Patriots Story Time has already been told it cannot host an Easter reading event in March.
Racz enlisted legal aid this week to demand the same access to library reading rooms accorded to other groups in the community.
She is also demanding the library amend its policies that allow the exhibition of sexually explicit materials to minors.
"The First Amendment does not allow any level of government to discriminate against anyone based on their speech or religion," Marcella Burke, the managing partner of Burke Law Group in Houston, Texas, said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
Rachel Racz, an energy industry executive from Coronado, California, is the founder of Tiny Patriots Story Time and the wife of a Navy SEAL. (Courtesy Rachel Racz)
"Every qualified community member must have equal access to the space. It is illegal for a government entity like a library to close a forum or change the rules just to prevent someone from presenting their viewpoint."
Fox News Digital has asked Coronado Public Library for additional response.
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The same proliferation of sexually explicit material in public schools and public libraries inspired a group of parents in Texas last month to launch SkyTree Book Fairs, with an assist from author, actor and committed Christian Kirk Cameron.
The program offers what Cameron called a "healthy, wholesome" alternative to current book fairs that he and other parents feel are flooded with "pornography."
Rachel and William Racz of Coronado, California. She is an oil-and-gas industry executive who claims Coronado Public Library has denied her group, Tiny Patriots Story Time, the opportunity to have veterans read to children, while at the same time making sexually explicit material available to children. (Courtesy Rachel Racz)
"There appears to be cooperation here between the literary journals, the public libraries and the publishers to put this content in the hands of children," a Texas mother of four, Michele Nuckolls, told Fox News Digital last month.
"We’re going to fight for our kids, for our religious liberty, and for the American way of life."
"School libraries all have the same titles, too."
Added Racz, "I refuse to stand by and do nothing. As the SEALs say, ‘I am never out of the fight.’ We’re going to fight for our kids, for our religious liberty, and for the American way of life that our military fights for every day."
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.
Kerry J. Byrne is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.
