The Rutherford County library board in Tennessee voted Monday to fire library director Luanne James after she refused to relocate more than 100 LGBTQ+-themed children's books to the adult section.

The termination followed an emergency board meeting that drew significant public attention. Supporters of James attended the meeting wearing shirts reading "Protect the freedom to read" and chanted "We stand with Luanne!" during the proceedings.

James had declined to comply with the board's directive to move the books from the children's section to the adult section of the library system. According to James, she believed she had an obligation as a librarian to protect the public's right to access information.

The controversy centers on the board's decision to reclassify the children's books based on their LGBTQ+ themes. The specific titles involved and the timeline of the board's initial vote to relocate the books were not detailed in available reports.

The firing represents the latest incident in ongoing nationwide debates over library book policies and what materials should be available to children in public libraries. Similar disputes have emerged in library systems across various states in recent years.