Tennessee
Librarian fired for refusing to move books from children’s to adult section
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee library board has fired the county’s top librarian for refusing to comply with its vote to move more than 100 LGBTQ books from the children’s to the adult section over its claims that they promote “gender confusion.”
The Rutherford County Library Board voted 8-3 on Monday evening to fire library system director Luanne James. James has previously said that relocating the books would violate her and county residents’ First Amendment rights and compromise her professional obligation against government-mandated viewpoint discrimination.
The case establishes the county southeast of Nashville as another focal point in the yearslong national fight over library content, often centering on racial and LGBTQ themes.
“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 Tennessee decision stems from a March 16 vote by the board to relocate the books to the adult section in county libraries. During that meeting, board Chairman Cody York said it is dangerous and inaccurate to tell children, particularly those going through puberty, that boys can be girls and girls can be boys.
Two days later, James emailed the board and said she would not move the books. The meeting Monday was peppered with cheers and boos from the audience. When it was James’ turn to speak, she said, “I stand by my decision and I will not change my mind.” After the board voted to fire her, James’ attorney read a statement from her in which she said she thought the firing was an unlawful act of viewpoint discrimination.
“Librarians should not be used as a filter for political agendas,” the statement said. “I stood up for the right to read, standing for the citizens of Rutherford County.”
Rutherford County school board member Caleb Tidwell, meanwhile, spoke in favor of moving the books out of the section for youth readers.
Last year, the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office sent letters to library systems across the state requesting immediate reviews of what was in their children’s sections. They say libraries that receive federal and state funding have to comply with applicable laws, and mentioned Trump’s executive order about gender ideology.
James was appointed as the county library director in July 2025. She has worked for more than 25 years in public library roles, including directorships in Texas and South Carolina.
Arkansas
Doctor accused of drugging and abducting patients
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (AP) — The former chairman of the Arkansas State Medical Board was indicted on charges that he drugged and abducted patients at a psychiatric facility in order to get more money from health care reimbursements, according to an indictment released on Monday.
An Arkansas grand jury indicted Dr. Brian Hyatt in early March on charges that he gave numerous patients strong, mind-altering sedatives in order to keep them at the facility without a medical justification. He is charged with two federal counts of kidnapping and distribution of the controlled substances that he allegedly used to subdue patients.
Seven mental health care workers, administrative employees and nurses who worked for Hyatt also were indicted in early March. Some were charged for allegedly failing to intervene to avoid getting fired, the indictment said. They are accused of neglecting to document patients’ actual conditions in medical records, instead using generic notes in order to obscure the patients’ conditions and conceal the lack of treatment being provided to them.
Other employees charged are accused of directly participating in the misconduct. At least one employee is accused of breaking a patient’s collarbone in order to physically restrain her to force her to accept unnecessary treatment. Others allegedly used threats, coercion and intimidation to force patients to accept unnecessary medical treatments, the indictment said, and also used physical abuse to prevent alleged victims from reporting their actions.
The crimes allegedly happened at the Northwest Medical Center Behavioral Health Unit in Springdale, where Hyatt’s medical company was contracted to provide psychiatric services between 2018 and 2022.
If convicted, those charged face a maximum sentence of life in prison with up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
There was no attorney listed for Hyatt or the seven employees on Monday night. The Arkansas State Medical Board didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment.
Washington
Appeals court suspends order for Voice of America employees to return to work
WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court panel agreed Tuesday to suspend a federal judge’s order for the Trump administration to bring hundreds of Voice of America employees back to work from paid leave.
The three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a stay pending the government’s appeal of the lower court’s March 17 ruling. More than 1,000 employees of Voice of America will remain on administrative leave while the appeals court weighs the case, a process that could take months.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to restore the government-run Voice of America’s operations after it had effectively been shut down a year ago. Lamberth was nominated by Republican President Ronald Reagan.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judges Karen LeCraft Henderson, Robert Wilkins and Gregory Katsas.
Henderson was nominated by Republican President George H.W. Bush. Wilkins was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama. Katsas was nominated by Trump, a Republican.
Voice of America has broadcast news reports to countries around the world since its formation during World War II. Before Trump’s executive order, it had operated in 49 different languages, broadcasting to 362 million people.
Voice of America has been operating with a skeleton staff since Trump issued an executive order to shut it down.
Lamberth also has ruled that Kari Lake, Trump’s choice to lead Voice of America, did not have the legal authority to do what she had done at the agency.
Librarian fired for refusing to move books from children’s to adult section
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee library board has fired the county’s top librarian for refusing to comply with its vote to move more than 100 LGBTQ books from the children’s to the adult section over its claims that they promote “gender confusion.”
The Rutherford County Library Board voted 8-3 on Monday evening to fire library system director Luanne James. James has previously said that relocating the books would violate her and county residents’ First Amendment rights and compromise her professional obligation against government-mandated viewpoint discrimination.
The case establishes the county southeast of Nashville as another focal point in the yearslong national fight over library content, often centering on racial and LGBTQ themes.
“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 Tennessee decision stems from a March 16 vote by the board to relocate the books to the adult section in county libraries. During that meeting, board Chairman Cody York said it is dangerous and inaccurate to tell children, particularly those going through puberty, that boys can be girls and girls can be boys.
Two days later, James emailed the board and said she would not move the books. The meeting Monday was peppered with cheers and boos from the audience. When it was James’ turn to speak, she said, “I stand by my decision and I will not change my mind.” After the board voted to fire her, James’ attorney read a statement from her in which she said she thought the firing was an unlawful act of viewpoint discrimination.
“Librarians should not be used as a filter for political agendas,” the statement said. “I stood up for the right to read, standing for the citizens of Rutherford County.”
Rutherford County school board member Caleb Tidwell, meanwhile, spoke in favor of moving the books out of the section for youth readers.
Last year, the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office sent letters to library systems across the state requesting immediate reviews of what was in their children’s sections. They say libraries that receive federal and state funding have to comply with applicable laws, and mentioned Trump’s executive order about gender ideology.
James was appointed as the county library director in July 2025. She has worked for more than 25 years in public library roles, including directorships in Texas and South Carolina.
Arkansas
Doctor accused of drugging and abducting patients
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (AP) — The former chairman of the Arkansas State Medical Board was indicted on charges that he drugged and abducted patients at a psychiatric facility in order to get more money from health care reimbursements, according to an indictment released on Monday.
An Arkansas grand jury indicted Dr. Brian Hyatt in early March on charges that he gave numerous patients strong, mind-altering sedatives in order to keep them at the facility without a medical justification. He is charged with two federal counts of kidnapping and distribution of the controlled substances that he allegedly used to subdue patients.
Seven mental health care workers, administrative employees and nurses who worked for Hyatt also were indicted in early March. Some were charged for allegedly failing to intervene to avoid getting fired, the indictment said. They are accused of neglecting to document patients’ actual conditions in medical records, instead using generic notes in order to obscure the patients’ conditions and conceal the lack of treatment being provided to them.
Other employees charged are accused of directly participating in the misconduct. At least one employee is accused of breaking a patient’s collarbone in order to physically restrain her to force her to accept unnecessary treatment. Others allegedly used threats, coercion and intimidation to force patients to accept unnecessary medical treatments, the indictment said, and also used physical abuse to prevent alleged victims from reporting their actions.
The crimes allegedly happened at the Northwest Medical Center Behavioral Health Unit in Springdale, where Hyatt’s medical company was contracted to provide psychiatric services between 2018 and 2022.
If convicted, those charged face a maximum sentence of life in prison with up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
There was no attorney listed for Hyatt or the seven employees on Monday night. The Arkansas State Medical Board didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment.
Washington
Appeals court suspends order for Voice of America employees to return to work
WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court panel agreed Tuesday to suspend a federal judge’s order for the Trump administration to bring hundreds of Voice of America employees back to work from paid leave.
The three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a stay pending the government’s appeal of the lower court’s March 17 ruling. More than 1,000 employees of Voice of America will remain on administrative leave while the appeals court weighs the case, a process that could take months.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to restore the government-run Voice of America’s operations after it had effectively been shut down a year ago. Lamberth was nominated by Republican President Ronald Reagan.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judges Karen LeCraft Henderson, Robert Wilkins and Gregory Katsas.
Henderson was nominated by Republican President George H.W. Bush. Wilkins was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama. Katsas was nominated by Trump, a Republican.
Voice of America has broadcast news reports to countries around the world since its formation during World War II. Before Trump’s executive order, it had operated in 49 different languages, broadcasting to 362 million people.
Voice of America has been operating with a skeleton staff since Trump issued an executive order to shut it down.
Lamberth also has ruled that Kari Lake, Trump’s choice to lead Voice of America, did not have the legal authority to do what she had done at the agency.
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