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Tennessee librarian fired after refusing to move books that "promote gender confusion" [1]

['Rob Beschizza']

Date: 2026-04-01  

Rutherford County Library Board in Tennessee voted 8-3 on Monday to fire the county's library director, Luanne James, after she refused to comply with an order to remove 190 books that "promote gender confusion" from the children's section.

James said that moving the books to the "adult" section violated residents' and her First Amendment rights and would "compromise her professional obligation against government-mandated viewpoint discrimination," the Associated Press reports.

"Her story will echo from the Courthouse in Murfreesboro, TN, across the country, as emblematic of the fight against censorship and suppression," said Kasey Meehan, director of the Freedom to Read program for PEN America, which advocates for freedom of expression on behalf of writers.

The board members appear to be pickled in online drivel. The chairman, Cody York, claimed that such books "advocate for [or] encourage the dismembering of healthy sex organs."

Claims like York's – particularly the framing of gender-affirming care for minors as the "dismembering" of body parts – are common anti-trans talking points among conservatives. However, they have been widely debunked by healthcare professionals, who emphasize that gender-affirming care exists on a broad spectrum that primarily includes mental health support and – in some cases – reversible treatments such as puberty blockers. Many hospitals do not offer surgical interventions to minors at all.

To some, the mere presence of LGBTQ+ characters is "pornography" and subject matter involving sexual relationships is "grooming."

the Anti-Defamation League, among others, note this language is not being used legitimately. "Instead, [anti-LGBTQ+ figures] imply or explicitly claim that LGBTQ+ people are pedophiles who are preying on children by discussing issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity," writes ADL.

Local censorship can be an expensive game for conservative activists: Librarian Fired in Books Dispute to Receive $700,000 Settlement.

County officials in Wyoming fired Terri Lesley, a library director, after she refused to purge children and young adult books that contained sexual content and L.G.B.T.Q. themes. The lawsuit accused them of violating her First Amendment right to free speech, and of firing Ms. Lesley in a retaliatory and discriminatory way. She had worked for the local library system since 1996 and directed the system for about 11 years. … About 25 books were targeted, including titles like "This Book is Gay" by Juno Dawson, "How Do You Make a Baby" by Anna Fiske, "Period Power" by Nadya Okamoto, "Doing It" by Hannah Witton, "Sex is a Funny Word" by Corey Silverberg, and "Dating and Sex: A Guide for the 21st Century Teen Boy" by Andrew P. Smiler. Many of those books had been on the shelves in the children's or young adult's sections for years before Ms. Lesley heard any complaints, she said.

Previously:

• Steamrollered: when librarians are told to censor kids' books

• Radical Librarianship: how ninja librarians are ensuring patrons' electronic privacy

• Suburban Chicago library set to fire only African American librarian who spoke out about racial equity

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