Rutherford County Library Hires Heath Lee as Ex-Director Sues

The Rutherford County Library System board has hired Heath Lee as executive director, days before former director Luanne James filed a federal lawsuit over her March firing.

The Rutherford County Library System (RCLS) board has chosen a new executive director, and in the same month its former director took her dispute with the board to federal court.

The board interviewed Heath Lee at a called meeting on September 16, 2026, and board documents say it voted unanimously to offer him the position. On September 23, former executive director Luanne James filed a federal lawsuit against the library system, its board and eight board members over her firing in March.

Heath Lee Named Executive Director

RCLS announced that, after a unanimous vote, Lee has been appointed library director effective November 2, 2026. According to the library system, Lee comes from the Mountain Regional Library System in Canton, Georgia, where he has served as library director since 2020, expanding the system's operating budget and overseeing construction of a new branch. He holds degrees from Southern Wesleyan (BS, 2004) and Florida State University (MLIS, 2007) and has worked in libraries for nearly 20 years.

The board's September 21 agenda included a revised offer of employment presented by Board Chairman Sam Huddleston. The board packet describes it as a starting salary of $129,000, up to $6,000 in reimbursement for relocation expenses actually incurred, a $500 annual allowance for job-related dues and memberships, one week of annual leave upon starting, and three weeks of annual leave per year, increasing to four after the first year. The packet says follow-up discussions revealed "a gap between the current compensation and our proposed package," and that the package is about $14,000 over the budgeted amount, to be covered by roughly $40,000 in salary savings from the unfilled position this fiscal year.

The board had narrowed the search at a September 10 called meeting, where it held video interviews with three semifinalists and voted to invite only Lee for an in-person final interview, according to the minutes.

Lee succeeds interim director David Coutcher, who was welcomed in that role at the board's April 20 meeting. The minutes note Coutcher has been with the library system since 2010.

At Linebaugh Public Library, the board in August approved about $46,000 in additional funding from Linebaugh's dedicated maintenance fund after the flooring project, originally approved at $130,000, was found to have been underestimated; the corrected contract totals $175,968.20, according to the September board packet. Staff reported that second-floor flooring was finished before Labor Day and first-floor installation was underway, with minimal closures expected.

Former Director Luanne James Files Federal Lawsuit

James filed suit on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville (Case No. 3:26-cv-01355). The complaint names the Rutherford County Library System, its Board of Directors, and eight board members in their individual capacities: Cody Ryan York, Beth Duffield, Jeffrey Wiencek, Sam Huddleston, Susan Quesenberry, Darrell Thomas, Dina Piazza and John Curtis. The case is assigned to Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr., with an initial case management conference set for December 9, 2026, according to the court docket.

The complaint brings claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and federal civil rights laws, including First Amendment free speech and Establishment Clause claims and a conspiracy claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3). It seeks declaratory and injunctive relief; economic damages including back pay, front pay and lost benefits; compensatory damages for emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience and mental anguish; punitive damages; and attorney fees and costs.

The complaint alleges that former board chair Cody York sought to restrict LGBTQ+ books before and after joining the board. It alleges that in 2022, after the library declined to remove a children's book he objected to, he checked it out on his personal library card and kept it in his office, and that he did the same with four children's picture books in May 2025. York was appointed to the board on January 12, 2023, according to the complaint. It also alleges that York's list of books to relocate included a "FLAGGED" column with descriptions such as "nonbinary teen," "gay rights movement" and "LGBTQ themes." These are allegations in a lawsuit and have not been tested in court.

Background: The Children's Book Dispute

At its March 16, 2026 meeting, the board voted to combine two lists of titles submitted by York and Duffield and relocate all of the listed materials from the children's section to the adult section, according to the approved minutes. The roll call vote was 7 to 3, with one abstention. The complaint puts the number of books at approximately 130. At the same meeting, the board voted 8 to 3 to repeal five library policies derived from the American Library Association, including the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement.

The minutes summarize the arguments made at the meeting. Supporters of the move said the books contained graphic violence and content they considered inappropriate for young children, and that parents should decide when children are exposed to those topics. Opponents raised concerns about viewpoint discrimination and errors in the lists, and several suggested the Young Adult section as an alternative.

In a March 18 email to the board quoted in the complaint, James wrote, "I will not comply with the Board's decision to relocate these books," and described the vote as "a clear act of viewpoint discrimination."

The board met in a special called meeting on March 30, 2026 to consider disciplinary action against the executive director, up to and including termination, according to the meeting agenda. The board voted 8 to 3 to terminate James, according to the complaint, which says her termination letter cited insubordination. James had started as executive director on July 28, 2025. The complaint also notes that in October 2025, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett sent a letter directing libraries in the Tennessee Regional Library System to review materials in their children's sections.

Library Services Continue

Rutherford County's library branches remain open with regular programming. Upcoming events at Linebaugh Public Library include Saturday Storytime at Linebaugh on September 26, a book signing with local author Amy Shaw on October 3, and READing Paws at Linebaugh on October 5, where young readers read aloud to a trained Reading Education Assistance Dog. Find branch information in our Murfreesboro library guide and Smyrna library guide, and read about the 2026 voter guide for Rutherford County for other local government news.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the new director of the Rutherford County Library System?

Heath Lee, who has served as library director of the Mountain Regional Library System in Georgia since 2020, was appointed RCLS library director after a unanimous board vote. His appointment is effective November 2, 2026.

How much will the new Rutherford County library director be paid?

The revised offer presented to the board on September 21, 2026 lists a starting salary of $129,000 per year, up to $6,000 in relocation reimbursement and a $500 annual allowance for professional dues and memberships.

Why did Luanne James sue the Rutherford County Library board?

James alleges her March 2026 firing violated Title VII, her First Amendment rights and other federal civil rights laws. The complaint says she was fired for insubordination after refusing a board directive to relocate a group of books from the children's section to the adult section, which she called viewpoint discrimination.

Why was the Rutherford County library director fired?

According to the lawsuit, the board voted 8 to 3 on March 30, 2026 to terminate James, and her termination letter cited insubordination for refusing to carry out the board's March 16 vote to relocate the books.

Where was the Luanne James lawsuit filed?

The lawsuit was filed September 23, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville, naming the Rutherford County Library System, its board and eight board members.

Sources: Rutherford County Library System: RCLS Board Announces New Director; RCLS Library Board and public documents repository, including the September 2026 board packet, September 21, 2026 revised agenda, September 16, 2026 called meeting agenda, March 16, 2026 minutes, March 30, 2026 called meeting agenda and April 20, 2026 minutes; James v. Rutherford County Library System, M.D. Tenn. No. 3:26-cv-01355: complaint and docket.