"More than 50 residents rallied outside Murfreesboro City Hall, many holding American Civil Liberties Union signs urging Tennessee to "protect the freedom to read." Inside, the crowd spilled into the aisles as James laid out her concerns, as detailed by the Daily News Journal: In addition to requesting patron data, she said York discouraged the system from participating in Banned Books Week and showed her books he had taken from the shelves without returning."
"That pressure had been building for months, as the Rutherford County Library Board cycled through repeated battles over whether to remove books addressing gender identity and LGBTQ+ themes. Earlier efforts to pull titles were met with protests and legal warnings, prompting the board at one point to reverse course over fears of First Amendment litigation, only to return to the issue again as new state directives tied library oversight to Trump-era language about "gender ideology," reopening long-simmering disputes over censorship, governance, and the role of"
Luanne James took the library director job in late July and later requested whistleblower protection, citing fears of retaliation. She accused board chair Cody York of ordering removal of books and demanding a spreadsheet listing patrons’ names, addresses, ZIP codes, household composition, and specific checked-out titles. More than 50 residents rallied at Murfreesboro City Hall, many carrying ACLU signs urging protection of the freedom to read, while the crowd filled the meeting aisles as James said York discouraged Banned Books Week and removed books without returning them. The Rutherford County Library Board has repeatedly battled over removing books about gender identity and LGBTQ+ themes, reversing then resuming efforts amid protests, legal warnings, and new state directives invoking "gender ideology."
Read at Advocate.com
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