MONROEVILLE, PA — Monroeville Municipal Manager Alex Graziani on Tuesday accepted responsibility for directing the removal of the public library’s Pride Month display, while acknowledging that two members of council had expressed a desire to see it taken down before the decision was made.
His remarks came during a packed council meeting where residents questioned whether discussions leading up to the removal complied with Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act and debated the municipality’s role in decisions affecting the library.
Graziani, who is the chief administrative officer for the municipality, stated that it was his decision alone to request the display be taken down four days after the June 22 Library Board Meeting in favor of a patriotic display for the Independence Day celebration.
“You need to know that I bear primary responsibility for the actions set in motion on Friday, June 22nd,” Graziani said. Speaking about the America 250 celebration and Monroeville’s 75th anniversary, he stated, “I directed staff to shift their attention to those community events. My decision is consistent with the year-long 2026 focus. As a part of that transition, I advised that the June Pride Month display in the children’s section be removed and replaced with a patriotic America 250 display in advance of the Independence holiday and our community celebration.”
According to Graziani, library staff decided not to replace the Pride display with an America 250 display.
He continued, comparing the takedown of the display to that of an appliance or furniture store changing over their sales for a new holiday.
Although Graziani said there was “no meeting of council as a whole, nor even a majority of council” that directed him to remove the display, he acknowledged that two councilmembers had expressed a desire to see it removed. The councilmembers were not identified.
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In a packed meeting room, some residents expressed skepticism that he acted alone. Many who spoke questioned whether discussions surrounding the display complied with Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act, which requires governmental agencies to deliberate and take official action in public except under limited circumstances. While the law allows for some business, such as collective bargaining or consultation with attorneys to happen in private, official actions like voting must occur in a public meeting. The Pennsylvania Sunshine Act was signed into law by Governor Dick Thornburgh and enacted in 1987.
When asked for his comment, Mayor Dennis Biondo confirmed that there was no meeting for discussion amongst councilmembers with regard to the removal of the display. “I thought it was over at that point,” Biondo said regarding the June 22nd Library Board Meeting. When asked if he had any concerns regarding the transparency of the issue as it related to the Sunshine Act, Biondo said he doesn’t believe a violation occurred. However, he believes there was an opportunity to wait until the month was over before transitioning to any America 250 displays.
The first speaker of the evening was Kelly Meredith, Chairperson of the Monroeville Library Board. Ms. Meredith spoke to the display being developed by library staff in accordance with established library practices with age-appropriate materials. She spoke about what she stated were troubling comments suggesting that the presence of these materials is harmful to children, further iterating that “public libraries exist to reflect the communities they serve.” She further stated that the mere presence of these materials is not an attempt to influence a child’s identity.
Regarding comments suggesting that library staff were acting as groomers, Meredith said the statements were “inaccurate, inflammatory, and unfair to dedicated public employees who are carrying out their professional responsibilities in accordance with the library’s mission and board-approved policies.” She continued by saying, “These statements have caused distress among staff members and undermined the respectful public discourse that our community deserves.” Meredith confirmed that all staff members must obtain background clearances which include a PA State Police criminal history check, child abuse history clearance, and FBI fingerprinting background check.
Councilman Eric Poach, who represents Monroeville’s 2nd Ward, took the opportunity to state unequivocally that “we absolutely do not, in any way, shape, or form, interfere with a parent’s right to educate anyone” on the materials. “The library does not stand in loco parentis.”
Later in the meeting, councilmembers Bill Krut, Mike Adams and Bob Williams each offered their views on the controversy.
Throughout much of the public comment period, Krut appeared to be looking at his cellphone while residents addressed council. Several residents interrupted their prepared remarks to criticize Krut for appearing to focus on his cellphone while they spoke, with one resident, Cindy Lucas, addressing the council saying, “I would like to ask Mr. Krut to stop using his phone while I’m speaking.” When reminded to address the council as a whole and not any one individual, Lucas followed up saying, “I respect you for the positions you’re in and I think I deserve a little respect.”
Krut, who represents the 4th Ward, shared that he learned about the display from a constituent and claimed he was unaware that it was Pride month. During the meeting, Krut doubled down his interpretation of the display. When asked about the appropriateness of the material, he stated that, “I thought that it was child sexual grooming… and so does every other cop I know.” Krut, a retired Monroeville police officer, currently serves on Monroeville’s Police Civil Service Commission.
Much of the public reaction hasn’t centered solely on the removal of the display, but on the repeated characterization of the books and library staff as promoting grooming. “It has definitely harmed [the conversation],” said Biondo. The mayor confirmed he has taken to speaking with Mr. Krut regarding his choice of words and the connotations the words carried. “He has a different understanding of the meaning of the word. I think it’s harmful.” In the era of social media, Biondo says that elected leaders need to be careful about what they say and how other people will react to their connotations.
In an era of increasingly inflammatory rhetoric in the larger conversation over LGBTQ+ visibility, language has definitely been weaponized. “It’s difficult to keep trust,” Mr. Biondo said.
Biondo says that being open to Monroeville residents concerns is key to rebuilding their trust, especially among younger constituents. “Listen to what they have to say, and respond to what they say. Don’t just sit there and not react. Listen to what they say and act appropriately.”
When challenged at the Library Board meeting that council went against what the community wanted, Krut stated he replied, “What community? The library community, the gay/LGBTQ community? What community are you referring to?” He went on to say that he did not understand the reason the books were on display for children. Krut stated that many friends of his have messaged him with statements of support but were afraid to attend public meetings, and smiled as he shared that one community member purportedly stated, “I support you, but I’ll support you from the closet.”
Krut reaffirmed that he never asked that the books be removed from the library altogether.
Speaking to the circumstances leading up to the meeting, Councilman Adams of Monroeville’s 5th Ward made a clarification that he is “not against the Pride community” and there were “never no threats against the library employees or their budget.” Adams said he felt the display of books were inappropriate for “that age group of children.” He said he looked up the books in question, and felt that the material they contained was not appropriate. In one example, Adams recalled hearing someone read to a group of children, “You might have been born a girl, or you may have been born a boy, but they might’ve got it wrong.” Adams said the statement “threw him off” and expressed his opposition saying that this kind of material could confuse a child. Adams admitted he does not know if the person reading the book was an employee or a volunteer and did not identify the book it came from.
As one of the last councilmembers to speak, Bob Williams stated emphatically that he wanted the public to know he would never be “ashamed to stand up for God’s word,” while subsequently saying he has “nothing against the gay community.” He went on to argue that children were being groomed with the display and then shifted his remarks, unprompted, to speaking against immigrants. While speaking about the separation of church and state, Williams mentioned Leviticus and stated ‘people should make a decision for themselves’. Williams represents Monroeville’s 6th Ward.
Following the meeting, QBurgh approached Councilman Krut to seek clarification regarding statements he had made on social media and during previous council meetings. Krut declined to be recorded. When asked to respond to questions about his comments regarding inclusivity within the community, he said he would not make any further statements on the matter and directed QBurgh to the council meeting recording, which he said would be available the following day.
The Monroeville Public Library is governed by its own Board of Directors and not directly by the Council. Under the Home Rule Charter, the Board is responsible for the operation of the municipal library in accordance with existing laws and ordinances.
Despite these events, Biondo doesn’t believe this controversy will overshadow the upcoming Monroeville Pride. The event will be held at the Tall Trees Amphitheater on Saturday, July 11th from 3:00 to 9:30 PM. Biondo said he will be making an appearance.
There will be an additional opportunity at the end of the next Monroeville Council meeting on Tuesday, July 14 at 7 PM for those who did not have the opportunity to comment. The session is open to any taxpayer within the municipality, and the comment period will be open to any municipality issue, not solely the Library or LGBTQ issues.
Editor’s Note: QBurgh has a pending Right-to-Know Law Request with the Monroeville Open Records Officer. Monroeville has requested a 30-day extension for their response.