News and Events => Political and Legal News => Topic started by: Jessica_Rose on March 31, 2026, 11:36:19 AM Return to Full Version
Title: TN board fires library director who refused to comply with LGBTQ+ book purge
Post by: Jessica_Rose on March 31, 2026, 11:36:19 AM
Post by: Jessica_Rose on March 31, 2026, 11:36:19 AM
Tennessee board fires library director who refused to comply with LGBTQ+ book purge
https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/tennessee-librarian-fired-lgbtq-books
Jacob Ogles (31 March 2026)
A Tennessee library board voted to fire its director Monday after she refused to remove more than 100 LGBTQ+ books from the system's shelves, capping weeks of escalating tension over censorship, access, and reader privacy.
The Rutherford County Library Board made the decision during a heated emergency meeting in Murfreesboro, where members entered executive session before returning for a brief public vote to oust Library Director Luanne James, according to local reports.
James had argued that removing or relocating the books, many of them in children's sections, would amount to political censorship. "I stand by my decision, and I am not going to change my mind," James said during the meeting, according to Nashville Fox affiliate WZTV.
Her refusal has drawn national attention from free expression advocates, who say the case reflects a broader campaign to restrict access to LGBTQ+ materials in public libraries.
"Tonight, Luanne James was voted out of her library director position for refusing to move LGBTQ+ books into the adult section," said Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America's Freedom to Read program.
https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/tennessee-librarian-fired-lgbtq-books
Jacob Ogles (31 March 2026)
A Tennessee library board voted to fire its director Monday after she refused to remove more than 100 LGBTQ+ books from the system's shelves, capping weeks of escalating tension over censorship, access, and reader privacy.
The Rutherford County Library Board made the decision during a heated emergency meeting in Murfreesboro, where members entered executive session before returning for a brief public vote to oust Library Director Luanne James, according to local reports.
James had argued that removing or relocating the books, many of them in children's sections, would amount to political censorship. "I stand by my decision, and I am not going to change my mind," James said during the meeting, according to Nashville Fox affiliate WZTV.
Her refusal has drawn national attention from free expression advocates, who say the case reflects a broader campaign to restrict access to LGBTQ+ materials in public libraries.
"Tonight, Luanne James was voted out of her library director position for refusing to move LGBTQ+ books into the adult section," said Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America's Freedom to Read program.