Former Rutherford County Library director Luanne James filed a federal civil rights lawsuit after the library board removed her for refusing to relocate more than 100 children’s books, many with LGBTQ+ content, to the adult section.
Luanne James sued the Rutherford County Library board in federal court, alleging First Amendment and 14th Amendment Equal Protection violations after an 8-3 board vote removed her for refusing to relocate over 100 children’s books.
James accuses board chair Cody York of longstanding anti-LGBTQ+ bias and says the board pressured her for patrons’ names and addresses tied to LGBTQ+-themed checkouts.
The board's action followed a statewide "age-appropriateness review" ordered by Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett. At a contentious public meeting where the relocation vote occurred, board members explicitly debated the content and suitability of books with LGBTQ+ characters. After the vote the board also severed ties with the American Library Association and stopped following its code of ethics, which includes resisting censorship and upholding intellectual freedom.
James responded to the board with a written refusal, calling the directive a clear act of viewpoint discrimination and a First Amendment violation. In her federal complaint she asserts violations of her freedom of speech and the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The lawsuit names individual board members as defendants and accuses the board of discrimination, retaliation, obstruction, intimidation, and threats against LGBTQ community members.
Allegations about specific board behavior
The complaint singles out former board chair Cody York, alleging he has a history of campaigning against books with LGBTQ+ characters and continued that campaign after joining the board in 2023. James also alleges York directed her to produce a list of patrons' names and addresses for those who checked out books with LGBTQ+ themes — a request she portrays as an attempt to target or intimidate patrons.
Board justification and public statements
When James was removed, York described her actions as insubordination, saying the board is authorized to set policy and a director who refuses to implement a duly adopted policy undermines governance. At the meeting where books were relocated, York expressed views about gender identity that he said made the material inappropriate for children.
The lawsuit proceeds in federal court alleging First Amendment and Equal Protection violations. Key factual questions will likely include whether the board's relocation decision constitutes viewpoint discrimination and whether any board members acted with discriminatory animus against LGBTQ patrons. The case could also address the legality of the board's request for patron identifying information and the board's decision to abandon ALA guidance.
This case ties local library governance decisions to broader statewide review processes and to public debates about access to LGBTQ+ content in public libraries. The complaint frames the issue as both a constitutional rights matter and a conflict between professional library ethics and the policies the locally appointed board voted to adopt.
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