The board of directors for the Rutherford County Library System on Monday terminated the employment of Director Luanne James, who oversaw all five libraries overseen by the board, after she refused to comply with its March 16 decision to remove controversial LGBT literature from the children’s section to the adults’ section.
James was fired in an 8-3 vote despite a video captured by local news reporters and posted to social media showing her fans shouting their support for the librarian as she prepared for termination for her refusal to move 132 books containing controversial material.
The decision to terminate James followed her refusal to comply with the board’s March 16 vote ordering her to move the books, and her March 18 email notifying the board members that she considered moving the books a violation of her ethical obligations to the American Library Association.
BREAKING: The Rutherford County Library in Tennessee voted 8-3 in favor of FIRING library director Luanne James after she refused to move over 100 books, including LGBTQ and DEI books, from the children's section to the adult section.
Unhinged supporters of James screamed and… pic.twitter.com/bDIvzkB6LH
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 31, 2026
The agenda published ahead of the meeting confirms the board planned to consider disciplinary action against James (pictured above), “up to and including Termination.”
“My duty to protect public access is not merely a personal opinion; it is a core tenet of the American Library Association’s Code of Ethics,” James wrote in her letter. “As an arm of the county government, the Board cannot legally limit the public’s access to materials owned by the people based on the content of the ideas expressed within them.”
She wrote, “I will not comply with the Board’s decision to relocate these books. Doing so would violate the First Amendment right of all citizens of Rutherford County and myself,” and claimed that abiding by the March 16 decision, “would compromise my professional obligation to oppose government-mandated viewpoint discrimination.”
In her letter, James did not explain how moving the literature from one section of a library to another, while keeping it available to visitors, constitutes the suppression of publicly owned books.
James also indicated she was willing to discuss the matter with board members, but meeting minutes published following the February 2 meeting indicate that deliberations over which books should be moved have been ongoing for months, in response to correspondence from the Tennessee Secretary of State.
Those meeting minutes reveal that James specifically recommended moving some books herself, including “444 titles from the juvenile collection to the young adult (YA) section (ages 13-17),” as well as “Relocation of 6 titles from the juvenile collection to the adult section.”
From her letter, it is unclear why James consented to moving these six books, but not the 132 sought by the board.
The controversy in Rutherford County comes as it sees significant population growth, ranking only behind Davidson County for new residents who moved in 2025.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Luanne James” by Rutherford County Library System.
Three of the board members voted FOR her.
Who are they ? Public employees = public information.
Get rid of them also… immediately.
My admiration and gratitude to the board members who held firm, protecting our precious young children from pernicious material. Let the innocent stay innocent as long as possible in a world burdened with boundless wicked influences .
That is an important comment she made. Listen carefully. “My duty to protect public access is not merely a personal opinion; it is a core tenet of the American Library Association’s Code of Ethics,” James wrote in her letter. The head of the snake has always been ALA, the American Library Association. The next important vote from the board is to separate themselves from the association in the county. This is about protecting children from inappropriate material.