Legal advice sought; most on board favor use of a restraining order
By Nick Norlen
Staff Writer
The Princeton Public Library Board of Trustees decided Tuesday to seek legal advice on how to deal with “disruptive patrons” before taking any specific action on a recent incident.
The discussion at their meeting stemmed from an August incident in which an individual was arrested after he allegedly threatened to stab a library employee.
Although library officials did not name the individual Tuesday, they said the person had caused disturbances and was asked to leave.
The threat came after the individual returned and was again asked to leave the library.
However, Princeton Borough Police Lt. Nick Sutter said the individual was not in possession of a weapon at the time.
At the meeting, Library Director Leslie Burger said she has since asked for advice from Borough Police Chief Anthony Federico, who she said recommended either delivering a letter about library policy or serving a restraining order to the individual.
Although the board ultimately opted to seek legal advice Tuesday, most members said they were in favor of issuing a restraining order.
However, board member Grayson Barber said there might be limitations on restricting access to the library, which is a public building.
”Not only is the library vulnerable to somebody being injured … the library is also vulnerable to getting itself in trouble if it improperly banishes somebody from a public building,” she said.
Still, Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman said the library should take the threat seriously.
”We are liable, but even if we were not, we want to protect at all costs the lives of people, particularly those that we employ,” she said. “It seems to me that it is one of those times to get legal advice.” Township Mayor Phyllis Marchand agreed.
”Because we put ourselves in a position of knowing something that could have been prevented and we didn’t act,” she said. “So I would rather be heavy-handed on this and if an attorney tells us we don’t have the legal right to do that, that’s another story.”
Lt. Sutter said the individual was charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing.
However, he said the charge of making terroristic threats was not pursued because of a psychiatric evaluation after the arrest that determined that the individual’s mental state was “a factor in (the) behavior.” The department is keeping an eye on the situation, Lt. Sutter said.
”The library has been proactive about it and so have we,” he said.

