RUTHERFORD CO., Tenn. (WTVF) — The Rutherford County Library Board voted in an 8-3 decision to fire library director Dr. Luanne James.
The controversy began when James refused to comply with a board order to relocate 132 children’s books to the adult section of the library. The board recently deemed the books inappropriate, citing LGBTQ+ themes, female empowerment, diversity, witches, and social justice.
Earlier this month, the board voted to move the books, but James argued in a letter last week that the move violated First Amendment rights and constituted viewpoint discrimination. She did leave the door open for further discussion before her termination.
"Librarians should not be used as a filter for political agendas. I stood up for the right to read, standing for the citizens of Rutherford County. I believe my firing is an unlawful act of viewpoint discrimination," James said in a statement through her attorney. "This action hurts library patrons, not just the librarian."
Board Chair Cody York declined to comment on why James was fired following Monday night’s special meeting. However, he addressed the situation in a statement last week.
"When a Director refuses to carry out a duly adopted Board decision, it undermines the governance of the institution and cannot be ignored," York said.
The local debate follows a letter Secretary of State Tre Hargett sent to all public libraries asking them to conduct an "age-appropriateness" review of books in their children's sections. The letter mentioned new federal and state standards, including President Trump's executive order banning the promotion of gender ideology extremism.
Hargett later walked back the idea on Inside Politics that libraries were required to do the review. He expressed surprise that Rutherford County shut down its libraries for a week to comply, noting his office was only asking for a review.
"We asked these libraries to do this. Asked. We can't force them to do it. I guess technically we could, but we asked them. We said please twice. We asked them to complete it by a certain date. We never ordered. We never directed. We never said shall. We never said must," Hargett said.
The community remains split over whether the books should be removed from the children's section.
"...to have a 6-year-old come across a book that starts showing full nudity, that starts showing the fact that a boy can be a girl, or the idea that a boy can be a girl and a girl can be a boy, at 6 years old, I don't think that's appropriate," one resident said.
"I want to take some appreciation to those who voted in favor of relocating the inappropriate books out of the minor section and to the adult section. I want to encourage you all to continue to move forward with decisions that best protect the children. Doing what is best can be a difficult thing," an attendee said.
"They are steamrolling over the First Amendment. They should be ashamed of themselves. They are taking the freedom to read away from children, taking the freedom to read away from adults," another resident said.
"Director James understood that once you start removing books to avoid discomfort, you are no longer running a library. You are curating a narrative. You are narrowing the world instead of expanding it. And that is something she refused to do. That refusal, grounded in principle, not politics, is what makes her my hero," a supporter said.
Public records showed that ahead of the March 30 meeting, the board worked to hire a new attorney. The board had been working with an attorney from the American Center for Law and Justice, but York informed board members in an email that the organization would not represent them on employment matters.
"Employment law is outside the agreement that we have with ACLJ and is not their specialty. I am working to have a private employment attorney that also has experience with 1st amendment issues present for the meeting," York said.
York contacted Brentwood attorney Larry Crain, who offered to represent the board. A proposed agreement included a $3,000 nonrefundable fee and a $400 hourly rate to advise on the pending employment-related matter.
Internal emails showed some board members raised concerns about legal risks as the situation escalated. Board member Allison Belt urged the board to seek specialized counsel, noting the library system’s insurance may not cover damages if the board is found to have violated the law.
"Our choices on 3/30 will have profound effects on our library system, our county, and our personal wealth," Belt said.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@NewsChannel5.com
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