WAUKESHA, Wisconson- A Christian organization is shifting its protest of Family Video from Milwaukee County to Waukesha.
The Christian Civil Liberties Union is planning to protest the video chain at 2 p.m. Nov. 28, because the store is planning to have an adult video room.
“There is a theme sweeping the country that these are not adult stores, just family stores that sell adult material,” said Robert Braun, director and president of the CCLU. “They are able to allow children under 18 into the stores because they are not classified as adult establishments.”
Family Video purchased the former Kohl’s Food Store, 139 E. Broadway, at the end of August. In October the city’s plan commission approved site plans for the store.
The store is scheduled to open Dec. 18.
Lance French, Family Video regional manager, did not want to elaborate on how the adult videos would be housed in the store, but did say they would be kept in a separate room.
“We respect the Christian Civil Liberties Union’s right to exercise their constitutional rights,” French said, adding that the company did not wish to comment further.
The CCLU had been protesting Family Video in West Allis, but Braun said all efforts will be redirected to Waukesha.
“We want to be highly visible,” Braun said. “People need to know what’s going on in their community. Our interest is to stop this building from selling triple-X videos.”
Family Video, based in Glenview, Ill., is the largest privately owned video rental chain in the country, with more than 300 locations in nine states.
Assistant City Attorney Miles Eastman said as long as a significant portion of Family Video’s materials aren’t pornographic, they are following city zoning laws.
“Obviously the respective departments charged with reviewing store plans are well schooled in these ordinances,” Eastman said. “If the majority of the merchandise is pornographic, which I suspect is not the case, then other agencies will become involved.”
Regardless, Braun said he planned to ask District Attorney Paul Bucher if there can be anything done to stop Family Video from renting out adult materials.
Bucher said Thursday he didn’t even know Family Video would be offering pornography.
“It does seem to contradict the name, ‘Family Video,'” Bucher said.
Bucher said he is considering contacting the store’s owners as a gesture, but stressed that there is not an investigation nor has any illegal activity taken place.
“Assuming that there will be a separate room, they are probably OK,” Bucher said. “It also depends on how they are allowing access into the room. That is something I would be interested in knowing.”