TN Librarian May Be Punished for Doing What’s Right
Luanne James may lose her job after standing up for the rights of her patrons and the First Amendment.
by Aly Gibbs
Let’s talk about librarians, that awesome bulwark against tyranny and oppression in a society that has grown so virulently obsessed with harming marginalized people that somebody, somewhere wants to compile a list of the books you’ve been reading so that they can find a way to punish you for it.
On July 28, 2025, Luanne James was appointed Library Systems Director in Rutherford County, Tennessee. No less than two days later, James alleges, Rutherford County Library Systems Board Chair, Cody York, instructed her to remove multiple books from the library system, in an attempt to circumvent established RCLS rules regarding book removal. She also alleged that York instructed her to compile a list of library patrons’ data for him: “Names of the patrons, their addresses, their ZIP codes, their barcodes, how many children and how many adults were in each household and what they were checking out,” she told the RCLS Board.
York denied issuing such instructions, both at the RCLS Board meeting and in a statement given to WKRN News 2, a regional news television station. “I categorically deny the allegations made against me last night,” York told News 2, explaining that books can only be removed from the library system by staff when a title no longer meets various standards for their collection, or by a lengthy vote initiated by the Library Board. “Those are the only mechanisms permitted. No board member can direct the Executive Director to bypass either process. Raising questions about whether books in the collection meet our collection standards is not inappropriate.”
York admitted he may have questioned the appropriateness of some books in the library’s collection, but denied that he had asked Luanne James to remove any books, or that he had checked out various titles and never returned them. As for the supposed list of patrons’ personal information, he said he simply wanted to check if any patrons lived outside of Rutherford County, so that they could be made to pay the $25 fee for non-local cardholders.
During the RCLS Board meeting, James’ testimony was deeply emotional. Fear for her job and the sanctity of her workplace more than justifies the tremor in her voice, and York’s patronizing responses hardly help. Thankfully, he received pushback from those in attendance, and the community in Murfreesboro—the seat of Rutherford County—clearly recognized the danger in what York was alleged to have done.
Frank Lambert, a Library and Information Science Associate Professor at Middle Tennessee State University, told News 2, “I believe it’s all driven by one motive only: to basically eliminate a certain class of people from the library collection as if they didn’t exist … To figuratively put them back in the closet, if you will.”
Mind you, if Cody York asked for a list of identifying information pertaining to library patrons, that would be a crime under Tennessee state law. He would have been pressuring Luanne James to break state law, and if that is the case, she was well within her rights to speak to the Library Board about his behavior.
I wish I could tell you that the story of book censorship in Rutherford County ends there. Unfortunately, on March 16, the Rutherford County Library System Board voted to relocate 132 books containing LGBTQ+ themes and characters from the children’s section to the adults’ section.
Heroically, Luanne James has refused to comply:
“As the Director of the Rutherford County Library System, I am professionally and ethically bound to uphold the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” James said in an email to the Library Board. “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. 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.
“The 8-3 vote by the Library Board on March 16th to relocate over 100+ LGBTQIA children’s titles to the adult section is a clear act of viewpoint discrimination. Furthermore, the vote to move the books was done without following the library's established Request for Reconsideration policy. 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. 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.
“Therefore, 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. Consequently, I would compromise my professional obligation to oppose government-mandated viewpoint discrimination.”
The Rutherford County Library Alliance, a local advocacy group, supports James without reservation. Keri Lambert, RCLA Vice President, described James as “the epitome of a true American Patriot [and] an inspiration to all.” RCLA’s Communications Director, Tatiana Silvas, said, “This courageous leadership is exactly what Rutherford County is looking for, and all of us at the RCLA couldn’t be more proud of her. She’s a hero, there’s no other way to describe her.”
Cody York disagrees on all counts, apparently, telling WSMV-TV, “The Executive Director’s refusal to implement a lawful directive of the Rutherford County Library Board constitutes insubordination. The Board has the authority and responsibility to establish policy for the library system. When a Director refuses to carry out a duly adopted Board decision, it undermines the governance of the institution and cannot be ignored.”
As a result, an RCLS Board hearing has been scheduled for March 30, whereupon the Library Board will determine what punitive actions they would like to take against Luanne James for safeguarding the First Amendment and her patrons’ privacy and right to access knowledge.
Like RCLA’s leadership, I believe that hero is the best way to describe Luanne James, and it sickens me that the Library Board wants to punish her for being heroic. I grew up very near Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, so this one hits close to home for me, and I hope the national support Director James is receiving as more people find out about this injustice reaffirms for her the righteousness of what she’s doing.
Aly Gibbs (She/They) is a trans writer who reports on news important to the queer community.
