Homophobic Comments Get Downers Grove Library Board Member Ousted

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — A Downers Grove Library board member was ousted from his position Tuesday after accusations that he made homophobic comments. Village council members voted unanimously to remove Art Jaros from his position, causing villagers at the meeting to erupt in applause.

Jaros, who was elected to the library board in 2015, allegedly raised objections to the library's required inclusion and diversity training. A member of the League of Women's voters who was in attendance as an observe at the meeting recorded notes about Jaros' objection about the training.

The notes state that Jaros "stated he objected to staff, who would be around children, receiving any training in how to handle inclusion." According to the notes, Jaros went on to say that children should be "protected by library staff from inclusion by ignoring its existence."

Jaros allegedly read the sex education section of the Illinois School Code aloud, stressing a part of the code that designates marriage as between a woman and a man. The notes add that Jaros shared his personal views on homosexuality and suggested that people should "reject any inclusion and people different from white straight people."

Chicago Tribune reports that Jaros denied accusations of racism against him, calling the notes from the League of Women Voters "defamatory." Jaros is pursuing a lawsuit against the League of Women Voters, the Chicago Tribune reports, along with the individual who recorded the notes in question.

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