Education

Tennessee librarian is fired for refusing to move over 100 LGBTQ books from children's to adult section

Luanne James argued that relocating the books would violate her and county residents' First Amendment rights and compromise her professional obligation against government-mandated viewpoint discrimination.


-------- Former Rutherford County Library System Director Luanne James during a board meeting in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on MondayRyan Rehnborn / Rutherford County Library Alliance via AP

March 31, 2026, 6:47 PM EDT / Source: The Associated Press
By The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee library board has fired the county's top librarian for refusing to comply with its vote to move more than 100 LGBTQ books from the children's to the adult section over its claims that they promote "gender confusion."

The Rutherford County Library Board voted 8-3 on Monday evening to fire library system director Luanne James. James has previously said that relocating the books would violate her and county residents' First Amendment rights and compromise her professional obligation against government-mandated viewpoint discrimination.

The case establishes the county southeast of Nashville as another focal point in the yearslong national fight over library content, often centering on racial and LGBTQ themes. ... "Her story will echo from the Courthouse in Murfreesboro, TN, across the country, as emblematic of the fight against censorship and suppression," said Kasey Meehan, director of the Freedom to Read program for PEN America, which advocates for freedom of expression on behalf of writers.

Last fall, a former Wyoming library director won $700,000 to settle a lawsuit after her firing. Terri Lesley was removed during an uproar over books with sexual content and LGBTQ themes that some people sought their removal from youth shelves, though Campbell County officials contended that only her performance played a role in her firing.

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