More challenged library books removed, even after RCLS Board voted to keep them
Plus, RCLS Board retains "conservative Christian" ACLJ legal counsel and plans to vote on more books on December 1
Looking ahead to the December 1 meeting of the Rutherford County Library System (RCLS) Board…
More previously challenged library books have gone missing from RCLS collections, despite formal votes to keep them.
Board Chair Cody York has signed a legal retainer agreement on behalf of the board ahead of a formal vote about hiring legal counsel.
The board is expected to vote on the potential removal or relocation of books identified during the system’s “emergency” inventories.
RCLS Board votes to keep challenged books, but they are removed anyway
RCLS is quietly removing recently challenged books from its collections, even after its board of directors expressly voted to keep them.
After learning about the disappearance of Forever by Judy Blume, local English teacher Tatiana Silvas discovered more recently challenged titles that are now missing from the RCLS’s collections.
*NEW* The RCLS Board voted to retain The Antiracist Kid by Tiffany Jewell on February 5, 2024.
The RCLS Board voted (4-3) to retain print copies of Forever by Judy Blume on October 21, 2024.
*NEW* The RCLS Board voted (6-1) to retain Over the River and Through the Wood: A Holiday Adventure by Linda Ashman on February 3, 2025.
All three titles have been removed from RCLS’s online library catalog and are no longer part of the system’s collections.
RCLS Board to vote on retaining legal counsel from ACLJ; agreement already signed by Chair
The agenda for the December 1 RCLS board meeting is now posted in the RCLS Public Documents Repository. It includes an action item on “Approval on Retaining Counsel” before a motion to move into private executive session for legal consultation.
The accompanying Board Packet for the December 1 meeting also includes a retainer agreement for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) signed by Chair Cody York on November 8, 2025.
On the ACLJ’s website, the organization describes itself as a “politically conservative, Christian-based legal organization.” The retainer agreement states that while their legal services are offered at no cost, “You understand, however, that you alone are responsible for paying any fines, attorneys fees, penalties, costs, or damages assessed against Client personally due to your misconduct or any award of attorneys’ fees or costs awarded by the court in favor of the opposing party.”
RCLS Board to vote on titles from inventory report
The board will also consider and vote on any titles discovered during the system’s ongoing “emergency” inventories at its meeting on December 1. These inventories were mandated by the Secretary of State’s office, which instructed library staff to identify and report any children’s books that are not age-appropriate or that discuss gender ideology.
The RCLS Board will meet on December 1 at the Murfreesboro City Council Chambers (111 W. Vine Street, Murfreesboro City Hall) at 5:00 p.m.