Rutherford County Library Director Luanne James – Photo: Rutherford County Library System
A Tennessee librarian is facing discipline after refusing to move more than 100 books flagged for LGBTQ content and other themes deemed “objectionable” from the juvenile section of the Rutherford County library.
The 132 books were part of a larger list of 190 titles compiled by Rutherford County Library Board Chair Cody York and board member Beth Duffield, allegedly to protect children from “gender confusion.”
Those books were part of a much larger list of 2,712 titles flagged by the Rutherford County board following an “age-appropriateness review” ordered by Republican Secretary of State Tre Hargett last October. Local libraries were directed to comb through their juvenile collections and remove books that do not align with Donald Trump’s executive order declaring that transgender identity is not valid and that only two biological sexes will be recognized by the government.
On March 16, the board voted 8-3 to move the books on its list of potentially objectionable works from the juvenile section to the adult section.
But Rutherford County Library Director Luanne James has objected, arguing in a letter to the board that relocating the books would constitute “a clear act of viewpoint discrimination” and violate the First Amendment.
“Public libraries serve as vital repositories of diverse ideas, both popular and unpopular,” James wrote in her letter. “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.”
Books in the larger review were flagged for reasons including depictions of “unclothed anthropomorphic animals,” illustrations of people in underpants or partial nudity, rainbow symbols, discussions of puberty or developmental changes, characters showing affection, such as kissing, alleged cross-dressing themes — including one book where a female character wears pants — and references to book bans or censorship.
Other books flagged for removal addressed slavery, racism, the Holocaust, and other historical topics described as “woke” or politically uncomfortable. Titles included Aesop’s Fables, two Magic Tree House books, several Harry Potter titles, and even a Winnie the Pooh book.
Two copies of Fred Gets Dressed, by Peter Brown, were also flagged after Hargett singled out the book as “age-inappropriate” for its plot, which involves a boy who runs naked around his house before playing dress-up in his parents’ clothes.
Books on the board’s list were objected to for themes including “female empowerment,” diverse representation, witchcraft, gender nonconformity, and so-called “social justice concepts.” The majority — 121 titles — were flagged for LGBTQ-related content.
The board also recently voted to cut ties with the American Library Association and is no longer adhering to its code of ethics, which directs librarians to prize intellectual freedom, resist censorship, and not allow personal opinions to influence decisions about book availability.
Cody York, the library board chairman, called James’ refusal to relocate the books “insubordination.”
“The Board has the authority and responsibility to establish policy for the library system,” York said in a statement to Nashville NBC affiliate WSMV. “When a Director refuses to carry out a duly adopted Board decision, it undermines the governance of the institution and cannot be ignored.”
York has called a special meeting of the library board on March 30 to determine how James will be disciplined for refusing to carry out the board’s order, with possible penalties ranging from suspension to termination.
Some community members have come to James’ defense.
“Luanne James is the epitome of a true American Patriot,” said Keri Lambert, vice president of the Rutherford County Library Alliance, an organization that advocates for “intellectual freedom and unrestricted access to information within the public library system of Rutherford County, Tennessee.”
“She is demonstrating to the world the importance of professional librarians in our communities,” Lambert added. “The bravery to stand up and say, ‘No, I will not violate my ethics and go against the Constitution of the United States,’ is the kind of leadership we need to see more of. She is an inspiration to all, and I could not be more thankful that she is a member of our community.”
The U.S. Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal from a conservative legal group, blocking enforcement of a California law that prohibits teachers and school staff from outing transgender or gender-nonconforming students to their parents.
Under the state's anti-"forced outing" law, teachers are barred from notifying parents without a student's permission when that student asks to change their pronouns or gender expression at school.
The plaintiffs include religious parents and educators, among them two sets of Catholic parents represented by the Thomas More Society, who claim the prohibition on parental notification misled parents and helped facilitate their children's social transition in defiance of their religious beliefs.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave a Little Rock restaurant, with the owner citing concerns from LGBTQ employees over her political positions.
On March 13, Sanders dined at The Croissanterie, arriving unannounced with two guests, staff members, and her State Police Executive Protection Detail.
Her party had been seated for more than an hour and had already paid and tipped when she said the restaurant owner asked a member of her security detail to have them leave.
President Donald Trump reportedly laughed aloud after being briefed by U.S. intelligence that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, may be gay -- and that his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, allegedly considered him unfit to rule for that reason.
According to the New York Post, Trump was stunned by the news, while others in the room reportedly found the intelligence “hilarious” and joined him in laughing at the irony -- particularly given Iran’s harsh laws criminalizing homosexuality.
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