Toronto Incident Not Related to Internet Porn, Library Says

Staff -- Library Journal, 3/8/1999

Despite a February 25 Toronto Sun article headlined "Porn fans chase librarian," a spokesperson for the Toronto Public Library says the incident had nothing to do with a library user cut off from viewing pornographic pictures on the Internet, as reported. Several youths were told by a librarian at the Downsview branch to quiet down, and one of the youths "made inappropriate comments, and followed the librarian back to her desk," said Michele Topa, the library's manager of marketing and communications. Another staff person asked the individual to leave, and he did. Later, however, police reported that the incident stemmed from viewing a sex site. Topa said the library didn't know how the police made that conclusion. The Sun reported that "the librarian told police she was chased and the teen was swinging his arms and screaming obscene racist comments."