The belief that the Harry Potter books encourage worship of the occult has inspired some fundamentalist Christians to burn the best-sellers. A Missouri woman has now taken that belief to a truly absurd extreme by suing a public library for religious discrimination.

Deborah Smith alleges in the suit that she lost her job as a library assistant in Poplar Bluff because she refused to attend a “Harry Potter Night” promoting the publication of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” in July 2007. Librarians were asked to dress up as wizards for the celebration.

“Plaintiff has a bona fide religious belief stemming from her Christian identity and membership in a Southern Baptist church that she sincerely believes prohibits her from being involved in promotion of the worship of the occult, especially to children,” the complaint says.

Library director Jacqueline Thomas offered to let Smith help out behind the scenes “in a way that Plaintiff’s church community would not know she had participated.” But she “vehemently objected to participating in Harry Potter Night in any role.”

When work schedules for the week of the promotion were issued, Smith learned she had been suspended without pay for 10 days, the suit says. She resigned in September 2007 after suffering “stress and medical complications as a result of the suspension, reduced hours, and increasingly laborious tasks assigned to her by Defendant Thomas.”

“Defendant City of Poplar Bluff ... constructively discharg[ed] Plaintiff because of her religious beliefs,” Smith, who is represented by the ACLU, says.

As a matter of fact, the city has denied suspending Smith, saying she was merely given the time off she requested. But it should also argue that, as a matter of law, her anti-Harry Potter beliefs are not protectible.

Civil rights laws should not be hijacked on behalf of those whose views, no matter how absurd, gain “legitimacy” simply because they are inspired by their religious faith. And Thomas gave Smith as much respect as she deserved by not requiring her to dress up as a wizard.

Moreover, if Smith has such strong beliefs, how could she even work at a library that has the Harry Potter books in its collection? Why isn't her church community following the example of others around the country and burning them?

According to the Poplar Bluff library's annual report, more than 100 children attended the Harry Potter Night. One of the photos from the event shows a clergyman, who, one can only assume, was protecting the children from any undue occult influences.

By Matthew Heller
5/31/08