A costly chapter: Huntington Beach’s library policy comes with $1M lesson
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Longtime newsletter readers may remember that in June 2023 the conservative majority of the Huntington Beach City Council passed a resolution spearheaded by then-Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark that forced the move of books they deemed had unacceptable sexual content from the young adult section of the public library to a restricted area on the fourth floor.
A follow-up resolution passed in October of the same year called for a community parent advisory board — not trained librarians — who would be tasked with approving all titles before they could hit the children’s bookshelves.
These moves were met with alarm and heavy criticism, and not only from librarians. When the City Council met to consider the second resolution, more than 550 people emailed the panel before the meeting, 90% of whom were against it, according to reporting by the Daily Pilot’s Matt Szabo. On the night of that October 2023 meeting, 128 people signed up to address the council on the matter during the public comments portion, which took a whopping five hours to accomplish but fell on deaf ears.
In late February of 2025, a lawsuit was filed in Orange County Superior Court by the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, the First Amendment Coalition, Community Legal Aid SoCal and Jenner & Block, LLP. Alianza Translatinx, self-described as the first transgender-led organization by transgender people of color in O.C., was one of the suit’s plaintiffs. Two Huntington Beach teenagers were also listed as plaintiffs, along with Erin Spivey, a librarian.
Their suit alleged that Huntington Beach was violating the 2024 California Freedom to Read Act, as well as the state Constitution. The city maintained in its defense — the same card it pulls in every battle it engages in with the state — that it didn’t have to adhere to either of those entities because it is a charter city.
In June 2025, Measure A, passed by Huntington Beach voters, repealed the book review board, which had not yet been formed.
In September, O.C. Superior Courty Judge Lindsey Martinez ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, rejecting the city’s stance. The following month, the City Council doubled down and appealed that ruling. The city attorney, Mike Vigliotta said outside counsel was working on the case at no cost to the city.
But it appears there will be a financial burden for Huntington Beach taxpayers to meet in relationship to the suit, despite Vigliotta’s statement. Last week Judge Martinez ordered the city of Huntington Beach to pay $959,853.73 in attorney’s fees, divided between Jenner & Block, the First Amendment Coalition, the Community Legal Aid SoCal and the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, according to Szabo’s most recent report.
MORE NEWS
Although the city of Anaheim has remained tight-lipped as to the identity of its police officer who fatally shot 19-year-old Alberto Arzola in December — even denying a TimesOC public records request — attorneys representing the young man’s family learned April 21 that the officer involved was Nathan Garcia. Further uncovered was the fact that Garcia is named in a recent federal lawsuit that alleges excessive force was used in the arrest of a 14-year-old boy.
• Despite the fact the Newport Beach City Council, in the face of loud outcry, in January rescinded its prior approval of changes that would have allowed for the proposed Snug Harbor Surf Park to triple in size in the middle of the public Newport Beach Golf Course, a lawsuit has recently been filed in a bid to prevent any size of a surf park to be allowed there.
• In 1972 a 30-foot-diameter cement, cratered dome representing the moon was dedicated in a Costa Mesa park to celebrated the achievements of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. It’s been a fixture ever since, although not entirely without controversy. In 1996, a group of parents organized to ask the city to remove the moon from Moon Park, but that effort was quashed when some Boy Scouts who liked to play on the dome successfully petitioned the City Council to save it. Thirty years later, a new group of parents is urging its removal during a rehab of the park, according to this Daily Pilot story.
• Although Laguna Beach briefly considered asking voters to weigh in on whether or not to move its status from a general law municipality to charter city, the City Council last Tuesday decided following a hearing on the matter not to move forward with such a ballot initiative this year.
• Perhaps thanks in part to the porcine charms of 5-year-old Peppa and Willow, 4, who live with Garden Grove resident Hank Clemmons and participated in an informal meet-and-greet with a council member, pot-bellied pigs will be allowed to live on the right side of the law in their city, following a vote last week by the City Council. Until now, the species had been considered livestock and, as such, banned from residential neighborhoods. Going forward, they will be deemed household pets.
BUSINESS
• For 60 years, Russell Surfboards maintained a shop on the Balboa Peninsula. But this year it was forced to shutter the location after a new landlord effectively doubled the property’s maintenance and other fees without notice, Russell’s owner, JP Roberts, told the Daily Pilot.
• Another community fixture, Jon’s Fish Market in Dana Point closed over the weekend after 46 years in business.
• Truly Pizza, which was first established in Dana Point a few years ago to acclaim, has opened in Laguna Beach where co-owner/founder Donna Baldwin lives. The Craftsman style house and outdoor space for the Laguna locale was formerly home to Madison Square & Garden Cafe.
CRIME
• Garden Grove Police Department officers responding to a call to Flagstone Avenue on Monday afternoon found a 48-year-old man, Jeff Fulgham, suffering a gunshot wound and arrested his alleged shooter, Dale Shroyer, 56, City News Service reported.
• A married couple from Huntington Beach pleaded guilty last week to insurance fraud stemming from a claim they made of losses sustained in a 2017 burglary of their home. As part of their plea deal, they paid $27,696 in restitution and a dozen other felony counts of grand theft and making false or fraudulent claims were dismissed.
SPORTS
• The Ducks made it to the second round of Western Conference playoffs after beating the Edmonton Oilers, 5-2, in game 6 of the first round on Thursday night. But they fell to the Vegas Golden Knights Monday night in game one of the second round at T-Mobile Arena.
• The Chicago White Sox beat the Angels 6-0 Monday night. It was the Halos’ 13th loss in 15 games.
• Steven Martinez, 31, of Chula Vista won his second OC Marathon in four years on Sunday and, with a time of 2:14:06, broke his own course record in doing so. Twenty-seven-year-old Brianna Bourne, a UC Irvine medical student, was the women’s winner, hitting the finish line at 2:57:53.
• Sage Hill’s first CIF Southern Section defeat in three seasons as a boys’ volleyball powerhouse was to top-seeded Palos Verdes Friday, but the Newport Coast team fought valiantly in the 25-23, 25-23, 28-26 loss. “I really hate losing, but I couldn’t have been more proud of the way that we went out today,” senior Ryan Manesh told Daily Pilot contributing sportswriter Scott French.
• In high school swimming competition, the Huntington High boys and the Newport Harbor girls teams won Sunset League titles Friday. It was the first time since 2022 for the Oilers and the fourth league crown in a row for the Sailors girls.
• A handful of Orange County schools are represented on the Top 20 list of Southland softball rankings released this week by CalHiSports.com for The Times, columnist Eric Sondheimer reports. The team with the highest ranking in O.C., coming in at No. 3, is Fullerton.
LIFE & LEISURE
• Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 10. TimesOC’s Sarah Mosqueda has put together an assortment of dining out options for your consideration at restaurants with special offerings for the occasion. You can find it here.
CALENDAR
• Newport Harbor Lawn Bowling Club invites people of all ages to its annual open house this Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. Instructions in the sport and equipment will be provided, as will refreshments and a raffle. The club is located at 1550 Crown Drive, Newport Beach.
• An original play, “The Return of Zorro,” is on stage now through June 7 at the Maverick Theater. Brian Newell is the producer/director of the production, which was written by Andrew Piñon. The Maverick is located at 110 E. Walnut Ave., Fullerton. Tickets range from $20-$38. For more information visit mavericktheater.com.
• Scott T. Barnes will be reading from and signing his book “Living Memories,” about his great-grandmother, Orange County pioneer Nellie Gail Moulton, at 6 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) at Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary in Santa Ana. Those interested in attending are encouraged to register in advance through A Night with Nellie. The $20 donation requested includes admission and a signed copy of the book. All funds raised will go to the Alzheimer’s Assn.
KEEP IN TOUCH
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