Rutherford County Library System Director Luanne James is facing possible termination after declining to comply with a library board directive to relocate more than 130 books, many of which address gender identity and LGBTQ-related topics, from children’s sections to adult areas.
The Rutherford County Library Board (RCLB) voted March 16 to move 132 books from children’s sections in local libraries to adult sections. The decision followed months of discussion and a public meeting that drew a large crowd.
In a March 18 email to board members obtained by WSMV, James said she would not carry out the directive, stating that doing so would violate First Amendment protections and conflict with her professional responsibilities.
“Doing so would violate the First Amendment right of all citizens of Rutherford County and myself,” James wrote.
She also said the decision represented “viewpoint discrimination” and did not follow the library system’s established reconsideration policy.
“Public libraries serve as vital repositories of diverse ideas, both popular and unpopular. Restricting access to these materials through subjective relocation or removal constitutes a violation of the community’s right to information and a direct infringement on the principles of free speech,” James said.
“Our libraries are funded by and for the citizens; therefore, the right to access information—free from government interference—is a protected hallmark of our democracy,” she added.
James cited the recent federal case of Terri Lesley v. Campbell County et al. in Wyoming, where a long-serving library director was terminated after refusing similar demands to restrict or relocate books containing LGBTQ+ themes and sexual content from youth sections. That lawsuit, filed in April 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming, alleged First Amendment retaliation and related civil rights violations.
But the case was settled in October 2025 for $700,000 with no admission of liability and so no binding precedent was established.
RCLB Chairman Cody York told WSMV that James’ refusal constitutes insubordination.
“The Executive Director’s refusal to implement a lawful directive of the Rutherford County Library Board constitutes insubordination,” York said. “The Board has the authority and responsibility to establish policy for the library system.”
York said the board will consider disciplinary action, including possible termination.
A special meeting has been scheduled for March 30 at 5:00 p.m. at the Rutherford County Historic Courthouse to determine how the board will proceed with regard to James’ employment. The meeting will be open to the public.
The books subject to the board’s decision would remain available within the library system but would be relocated from children’s sections to adult sections.
James is being backed in her refusal to relocate the books by advocacy groups including the Rutherford County Library Alliance and national group PEN America, which said, “Children and teens deserve access to diverse books that represent their identities and stories and books that introduce young people to new ideas and perspectives. This is the best way to cultivate empathy.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Luanne James” and “Rutherford County Library” by Rutherford County Library System.
