WARRENTON — The city has required training against harassment and discrimination after a library board member and planning commissioner complained about a library employee’s preferred gender pronouns.

In a column in The Columbia Press in May, Kelly Knudsen, the director of the Warrenton Community Library, introduced the new library assistant youth coordinator using the employee’s preferred pronouns, “they” and “them.”

Mary Ann Brandon, who was serving on the library board, sent an email to Christine Bridgens, a planning commissioner, describing the column as “disturbing.”

“Frankly, I don’t care what a persons sexual proclivities are, whether they’re gay, bi, or whatever. But I don’t like being forced to read such pronoun drivel. And I’m sure this liberal wokeness is most likely permeating our little library,” Brandon wrote in the email, which was obtained by The Astorian through the state’s public records law.

“Now, I’m in a quandary. I’d normally write a letter to the editor of The Columbia Press complaining about the weird grammar style and how ‘wokeness’ should not supersede proper grammar. I know it’s the ‘cool’ liberal style to write like that. But it has no place in a community paper.

“Yet I’m on the library board and barely got seated due to my out-of-city status. And one of the reasons I wanted to be on the board was to keep drag queen story hours from entering our library and infecting our youth.”

A small group of conservatives protested a Drag Queen Story Hour at the Astoria Library in 2019, alleging the event was harmful to children. Brandon was appointed to the Warrenton Community Library Board by the City Commission in 2020.

“Not only is it grammatically incorrect to refer to a person as they, it is also scientifically incorrect. I do not believe that any person with an important position as is the case with a youth coordinator for the library, should be allowed to operate according to a lie,” Bridgens wrote in response to Brandon. “This kind of precedent would surely be followed with the drag queen story hour, or even worse.

“Shouldn’t TRUTH be the umbrella under which a library — or any business — operates? Especially when it comes to indoctrinating children! I surely hope our little library does not fall victim to perversion indoctrination.”

After learning about the email exchange, City Manager Linda Engbretson informed Bridgens that all city boards would be required to take anti-harassment and discrimination training to better protect the city and individuals against liability.

“Regardless of employees’ politics or ideology, the City of Warrenton is not in the business of discrimination nor will it tolerate any harassment or discrimination against our employees,” Engbretson wrote. “The city can be put at great liability for any such actions.”

Later that day, Bridgens sent an email to Engbretson and other city officials regarding the library employee. She shared a link to a Huffington Post article about Queer Rock Camp in 2015 that featured the employee.

“Is this in the best interest of our Warrenton children?” she asked.

Brandon has resigned from the library board. She could not be reached for comment, but told the library board chairwoman in her notice: ”I resign. You know why. Sorry I wasted your time …”

In an email to The Astorian, Bridgens said, “I believe it’s appropriate for city employees/appointees to be reminded of the importance of being respectful to all other employees/volunteers.

“An anti-harassment/discrimination seminar would be worthwhile,” she said. “City employees/appointees should also be mindful of the importance and influence their role may have on our Warrenton community.”