Former RutherforFormer Rutherford County Library System Director Luanne James during a board meeting in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on MondayRyan Rehnborn / Rutherford County Library Alliance via AP
[North America · Nashville, Tennessee, United States] The Rutherford County Library Board voted 8-3 on Monday evening to fire Luanne James, the county's library system director, after she refused to comply with an earlier board resolution mandating the relocation of more than 100 books with LGBTQ+ themes from the children's to the adult section. The board had characterised the books as promoting what it described as gender confusion and harmful to young readers.
James had stated publicly that moving the books would violate both her First Amendment rights and those of county residents, and would breach her professional obligation to oppose government-mandated viewpoint discrimination. At Monday's meeting, James spoke directly: I stand by my decision and will not change my mind. After the board voted to terminate her employment, her attorney read a statement indicating that James viewed the firing as an unlawful act of viewpoint discrimination.
Rutherford County, situated southeast of Nashville, has become another focal point in the ongoing national conflict over library content, which frequently centres on books addressing racial and LGBTQ+ themes. The case has drawn attention from national civil liberties organisations. Kasey Meehan, director of the Freedom to Read programme for PEN America, stated that James's experience will serve as a symbol of the struggle against censorship and suppression.
Advocates opposed to the removal of library books in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on Monday.Ryan Rehnborn / Rutherford County Library Alliance via AP
The termination is not isolated. Last autumn, a former Wyoming library director reached a settlement in the amount of $700,000 after her removal from office in the wake of controversy over books with sexual content and LGBTQ+ themes. Although Terri Lesley was dismissed amid public pressure to remove such books from youth collections, Campbell County officials claimed her performance was the sole basis for dismissal. Additionally, in December 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review an appeal in a Texas free speech case that upheld the authority of local officials to remove books deemed objectionable from public libraries.
Monday's decision follows a March 16 board vote to move the books to the adult section. Board Chairman Cody York, during that meeting, contended that it is dangerous and inaccurate to inform children, particularly those undergoing puberty, that gender categories are mutable.
The policy framework supporting such actions has been strengthened at the state level. Last year, Tennessee's Secretary of State office circulated letters to library systems throughout the state requesting immediate review of their children's sections. Officials asserted that libraries receiving federal and state funding must comply with applicable law and referenced the Trump administration's executive order addressing gender ideology in education.
James was appointed to her position in July 2025. She has worked in public library roles for more than 25 years, including serving as a library director in both Texas and South Carolina.
North American Editorial Office: Robin