Image Credit: Rutherford County Library System & Canva.
Article by Paula Gomes, Tennessee Conservative News –
Former Library Director for the Rutherford County Library System (RCLS) who was terminated after refusing to remove LGBTQ books from the children’s section has filed a lawsuit in federal court.
Filed in Nashville’s U.S. District Court six months after she was fired, Luanne James alleges that she was wrongfully let go by the Rutherford County library board and that her termination violated her First Amendment rights to free speech as well as discrimination laws.
James was instructed by the board to move 132 books to a different section.
While published for children, the board had voted to have them relocated to the adult section because of their content.
The decision came after months of discussion following Board Chair Cody York’s complaint that some of the books pushed “gender confusion” while others included LGBTQ characters and messages.
In response, James stated that restricting access to the books by relocating them or by removing them constituted a “violation of the community’s right to information and a direct infringement on the principles of free speech.”
York called her lack of compliance with a lawful directive from the board “insubordination” which led to an 8 to 3 vote removing James from her position as director.
Board members are listed as defendants in the suit.
James claims that York, who no longer heads up the board, was biased against members of the LGBTQ community and targeted books with gay or transgender characters.
According to James, York also wanted a list of people who checked out books with LGBTQ themes, an order that James allegedly refused.
The lawsuit seeks economic damages along with compensation for emotional pain and suffering.
Sources:
WPLN.
WSMV.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
5 Responses
This is not about free speech, its about grooming and sexualization of minors. Playboy, Hustler, Big Juggs, and Barely Legal are they in the children section of the Library? I bet not, but they have great articles, though no child would understand what they are reading or looking at. The same goes with these adult deviant behaviors that they dress up as kid friendly. What child needs to learn what anus beads are or a butt plug at five. Don’t be deceived this is a demon in a dress.
Feminist hate men and children- they will do anything in their power to destroy what God has created, Remember feminism was used by the communist during the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Ms. James wants to pull everyone into her hell scape- misery love company.
Ditto payne75. Unfortunately, I have a sneaky suspicion that the courts will rule in her favor. She’ll get her job back and get rich in the process. Sad. Very sad.
She seems to think she can choose any books she wants and make policies.
What if a librarian chose books that taught kids to be racists – would that be okay?
Or books to hate Muslims?
Or to hate America?
Or to hate the gay people?
The “Freedom of Speech” argument is ridiculous. She can do what she wants in her personal library.
Lucifer’s own evil accursed dimmercrap wench.
Who wants to bet an Activists judge will rule in her favor? She refused an order from her superiors to just simply move the books. So what stays and what goes…is she the sole judge? Parents don’t have a say?