Luanne James, director of the Rutherford County Library System in Tennessee, has declared she will not comply with a board decision to move over 100 LGBTQ+ children's books to the adult section. In a letter to the board, she cited First Amendment protections and her ethical duties as a librarian. The board, led by chair Cody York, calls her stance insubordination amid ongoing tensions over book access.
Luanne James was hired as director of the Rutherford County Library System (RCLS), southeast of Nashville, Tennessee, in June 2025 and began in late July. The library has faced pressure over book content, including a 2025 board vote to ban trans books for minors, later overturned due to litigation concerns. In late September or early October 2025, a letter from Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett prompted a collection review of juvenile materials, citing age-appropriateness laws and a Trump executive order, with threats to state funding if not addressed. RCLS shut down in November for review and reviewed nearly 80,000 items. James recommended relocating 450 titles to young adult and six to adult sections, but the board denied this in February 2026, asserting authority over decisions. At the March 2026 meeting, the board removed key documents like the Library Bill of Rights and American Library Association Code of Ethics from its policy manual. On March 16, it voted 8-3 to relocate 132 books—116 requested by chair Cody York for reasons like “gender confusion” and 16 by treasurer Beth Duffield—from youth to adult collections, restricting access for those under 18 without permission. James refused in a letter, stating: “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.” She invoked whistleblower protections in December 2025, detailing York's earlier demands for book removals bypassing policy, patron personal data, FOIA previews, and skipping Banned Books Week. Supporters from the Rutherford County Library Alliance praised her, with vice-president Keri Lambert calling her “the epitome of a true American Patriot” and communications director Tatiana Silvas deeming her “a hero.” York told the Daily News Journal the refusal is “insubordination that cannot be ignored.” The board scheduled an emergency meeting for March 30 at the Historic Courthouse in Murfreesboro.
