New Castle, often described as a small Rust Belt city located in predominantly conservative Lawrence County about an hour north of Pittsburgh, hosted its first Pride event in 2025. The success of the event led to the creation of the New Castle Prism Initiative, a nonprofit organization providing programming and services tailored to LGBTQ+ youth and adults.
Trevor Preisel, founder of New Castle Prism Initiative, said the organization relied heavily on community partnerships to sustain its outreach and advocacy efforts, including a working relationship with the New Castle Public Library. According to Preisel, the partnership initially produced positive outcomes, including collaboration on New Castle’s first Pride event and continued access to LGBTQ+ materials within the library system. However, over the past six months, the relationship between the library and some LGBTQ+ stakeholders in New Castle has become increasingly strained.
Bill Messner, a Lawrence County resident affiliated with the Lawrence County chapter of the Constitution Party and announced candidate for governor, has publicly expressed opposition to LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts at the New Castle Public Library. His social media activity drew attention throughout the fall of 2025, particularly as community members raised concerns about what they described as combative interactions with those who disagreed with him. According to multiple accounts, Messner’s interactions with library staff became increasingly volatile, and the library temporarily closed for several days in February 2026 due to reported safety concerns. Messner was later permanently banned from the facility.
Social media posts published by the Lawrence County chapter of the Constitution Party Facebook account referred to the then-library director, Andrew Henley, as a “groomer” and described the library as “Epstein Island.” While community members and local observers have alleged that Messner operates or contributes to the account, QBurgh could not independently confirm who authored the posts.
During a public library board meeting in January 2026, one community member reportedly raised concerns about what she described as “sexually explicit” books in the library that included LGBTQ+ characters. Preisel, who attended the meeting, challenged the characterization and asked for specific examples of the books being referenced. According to Preisel, no titles were identified during the discussion.
Preisel said he attempted to work diplomatically with the library board and encouraged members to consider how existing library policies and procedures applied to challenges involving LGBTQ+ materials. He also argued that some individuals objecting to the materials were opposed to LGBTQ+ representation in general, regardless of the content of the books themselves.
According to Preisel, members of the library board became suspicious of his advocacy efforts and suggested he may have had a personal agenda because he and then-library director Andrew Henley are friends and both are out gay men. Preisel denied the implication, stating that his involvement was motivated by a desire to advocate for fair treatment and inclusion of LGBTQ+ patrons within the library system.
Preisel further alleged that tensions escalated after he criticized the board’s handling of the controversy, including the adoption of a “Values Statement” that he felt lacked explicit language affirming inclusivity across sexual orientations, gender identities, races, and ethnicities. Preisel said communication between himself and members of the board deteriorated over time, alleging that some exchanges became hostile and that board members eventually instructed him to cease contact, accusing him of harassment, a characterization Preisel strongly disputes.
Preisel stated that he has since stepped away from involvement with the library for the sake of his personal well-being, though he remains hopeful that reconciliation is possible because he continues to view the library as an important community resource. The New Castle Public Library did not respond to QBurgh’s requests for comment regarding these matters.
Andrew Henley officially resigned from his position as library director in late April 2026. Community speculation surrounding the reasons for his resignation has continued, with some residents alleging that hostility toward his sexual orientation contributed to his departure. However, no official statement confirming those claims has been made public.
Henley has received significant public support from community members in New Castle, many of whom cited his history of civic engagement and involvement in the area.
Because litigation involving Andrew Henley and the New Castle Public Library is reportedly ongoing, Henley and his attorney declined to provide an official statement regarding the dispute. However, they expressed support for coverage of the broader community controversy.