Overview

• The Beachwood Police Department is investigating the alleged burning of 100 library books as a possible hate crime, with the case to be referred to a city prosecutor upon completion.
• The suspect, who checked out the books in two visits, posted a social media video of the burning and earlier referred to 'cleansing the libraries' in a photo caption.
• The Cuyahoga County Public Library has banned the man from its properties and revoked his borrowing privileges while replacing the estimated $1,700 worth of destroyed books.
• The Interfaith Group Against Hate has pledged to donate 1,000 books to promote understanding and solidarity in response to the incident.
• The Princeton University Bridging Divides Initiative flagged the suspect’s social media activity, triggering the library’s report to law enforcement.