GEAUGA COUNTY, Ohio — The spread of hate continues through white Supremacist propaganda. Some experts say the numbers are higher than ever recorded.
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The federal government charged a man from Alliance accused of taking it to the point of violence when he threw Molotov cocktails at a church in Geauga County in March.
The pastor at the Community Church of Chesterland tells News 5 he had a concern for his safety during the planning for a Drag Queen Story Hour.
After the firebombing, Pastor Jess Peacock says he still thinks about it but doesn’t let it stand in his way.
"Yeah so if you look out here,” Pastor Peacock said. If you walk up to the church, you’ll see black smudges on the door, banner and roof. "I think this is where it hit."
The residue is still there, partly because Peacock hasn’t yet cleaned it up.
But there’s a bigger reason, intentional or not.
"This is a reminder that there are marginalized groups that have to face this kind of hate and terror all the time,” Peacock said.
Federal court records show Aimenn Penny, a member of the Ohio group White Lives Matter, is accused of throwing gasoline-filled vodka and beer bottles at the church before a Drag Queen Story Hour event.
Records revealed Penny had grown angry after watching internet videos and drag shows in France and decided to attack the church.
Penny admitted he did this to protect children.
Wadsworth police placed Penny in the town before a similar event in early March that he actually attended to pass out propaganda.
Last October, Alliance police saw him placing flyers on cruisers and other cars.
"Absolutely it's recruitment, and it's also his way of protest,” Case Western Reserve University Law Professor Bryan Adamson said.
The Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism tracked the spread of White Supremacist propaganda.
Noting a 38% increase in 2022 from the year before.
Adamson talks to his students and writes about the reason for the spike.
"There's been an amplification of powerful and influential voices who encourage who wink and nod of those who would do this type of work,” Adamson said.
The ADL reports at least 50 different white supremacist groups and networks distributed propaganda in 2022 with three of them, including White Lives Matter, being responsible for 93% of it.
Adamson says some find the support they need on social media cultivating a certain mentality.
"Because people more and more can go into their ideological silo and be fed a constant diet of vitriol,” Adamson said.
Peacock didn’t lose church members after the firebombing; rather, he gained attendees.
Although he says some wished the church hadn’t gone through with the April 1 Drag Queen Story Hour.
"I think overall we accept that and refuse to step back or hide simply because there's people out there who are angry at us,” Peacock said.
He says he wants to see Penny prosecuted but would also like to simply ask him why.
"I honestly hold no ill will toward him. I feel sorry that he felt that this was what he needed to do to save the children. I guess he was operating on ignorance; he was operating on a certain level of hatred,” Peacock said.
Peacock has more events planned including Chardon Pride in June.
Penny was supposed to appear in court this morning, but it was moved to Wednesday because of a scheduling conflict.
