Claims about ‘white genocide’ pushed Kansas City-area library leader to resign

We know that a campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion programs led to the decision by Mid-Continent Public Library Director Steven Potter to resign this summer. But emails acquired by the editorial board show that library board officials proposed requiring the veteran director to read and submit a report on a book that promotes an extreme conspiracy theory that diversity training programs, including those adopted by the military, are part of a plot with the goal of “white genocide.”

The self-published book by ousted Space Force commander Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier argues that diversity, equity and inclusion or DEI training in the military is grounded in Marxism.

Of course Potter was insulted by this assignment. His goals involved renovation projects.

The book report goal was written by Platte County trustee Yummy Pandolfi and sent by email to other trustees and the board’s personnel committee for consideration.

Trustee Rita Wiese proposed this goal: She said the library director should “eliminate DEI” and should be “changing direction.” In her proposal, Wiese wrongly equates diversity work with hiring quotas, saying: “DEI advocates hiring based on race or creed, rather than on merit and qualifications.”

According to one email, she says that DEI “teaches how to succeed as a victim, to denounce ‘white supremacy,’ to keep Asians out of Harvard, to hate other groups, to blame others for perceived injustice.”

None of that is an accurate description of diversity training, but it does reflect the kind of misinformation found on right-wing media sites.

Last October, the board refused to accept results of a scathing diversity audit of the system from a human resource firm hired by library staff. At the same time, Pandolfi wrongly called diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to hire more people of color “Marxist.”

She also said in the goals proposal that all the information presented to the Mid-Continent library board regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion has been industry propaganda.

Potter, in his resignation letter submitted last month, said he was leaving the library after 34 years of service because “It has become clear to me that I may not be the right person to lead this institution going forward,”

The current 12-member board, including four members appointed by each of three counties — Jackson, Clay and Platte — has been bent on blocking programs for LGBTQ youth and squashing moves to increase diversity.

Potter is leaving June 30, 2022, two years before the end of his current contract.

Neither Pandolfi’s goal proposal nor Wiese’s has been voted on by the board.

More liberal trustees, who are in the minority on the board, told us they do not support those goals. Also, Potter said he is not going to do goals this year because he doesn’t have time before he leaves.

What worries Potter is whether these goals — which he rightly says do nothing to improve library service — would be proposed for whomever the board finds to replace him.

By law, the board must hire someone with a master’s degree in library science from an American Library Association-accredited school for the director’s position. Potter said he doesn’t think the board will find anyone with the appropriate credentials who won’t find a need for DEI work once they learn about the lack of diversity in the system’s staff.

We hope that’s true.

Maybe the trustees could read up on what diversity, equity and inclusion really is and does, if they can still find a book on that in the library they’re intent on taking in the wrong direction.