Murfreesboro, TN – The Rutherford County Library System was recently caught up in legislative recording decorum/parliamentary procedure during two Spring meetings (3/17/25 Rutherford County Library Board meeting and 4/9/25 Rutherford County School Board meeting) prior to the county being sued by ACLU-TN and Pen America the following week (filed 4/16/25) for First Amendment rights violations.

Through proper decorum, the Rutherford County Library Board, first, seemingly sets recommendations to retain or remove a book from their shelves based on librarian review of a book, or title, brought up on complaint by a citizen. The Library Board recommendation is then considered by The Rutherford County School Board when voting whether to remove or retain a “challenged” book/title within Rutherford County School libraries (age and parental consent restrictions applied, or not).

Ultimately, “there were 160 titles that were brought before, or given to us for reconsideration. Not all 160 have been formally recommended to the board, so 99 recommendations [were] presented, by the conclusion of tonight [4/9/25],” said Dr. Kelly Chastain, Chief Academic Officer, Rutherford County Schools.
Meanwhile, The Rutherford County Library Board was in search of a new director, as RCLS’s Linebaugh Library branch manager, Mindy Barrett, acts as interim director, during this time.

At a Rutherford County Library Board meeting, June 2, 2025, board member, Cody York, resided as pending Chairman, instead of residing chair, Phil King, whom resided over the Library Board’s 3/17/25 meeting.

Though M’boro Daily News Journal’s [the honorable, and area, honcho journie] Scott Broden has covered the evolution of this story linked back to 2018 through his articles, the coverage here began with an email from Rutherford County Library Alliance founder emeritus, Tiffany Fee, in “Results of tonight’s RCLS Board Meeting,” sent 10:43pm, found the following morning.

(Rutherford County Library Board meeting, March 17, 2025)
“The Show” :

[gavel bangs] Rutherford County Library Board Chairman, Phil King, to a chattering room, all seemingly perturbed: “All right, all right, everybody.” all right, everybody.”

“Welcome to tonight’s show,” said King.

“I see each and every one of you heard our advertisements we had on the television and the radio that went something like this: ‘Tonight on a very special board meeting –Library Board Meeting-’ …so. I appreciate all of y’all coming.” went something like this: ‘Tonight on a very special board meeting –Library Board Meeting-’ …so. I appreciate all of y’all coming,” said Chairman King.

“This is a present surprise.”

“I didn’t realize y’all were interested in our search for a new director (crowd laughs).”

Chairman King: Thank you for laughing. I am your host, Phil King. I live here in Murfreesboro and along here is the rest of my compatriots with us, here, on the Library Board. And, so with that, we shall get started (King: -“Can’t get started ‘til I put on my reading glasses”).

King: All right, first, we will welcome new members, and special guest. We do have a new board member with us tonight. Tonight marks his very first board appearance, so please, give it up for Sam Huddleston of the Murfreesboro City Council [crowd applause].

King: Sam is fulfilling the role by his fellow city councilman -Well, you’re not a councilman. You’re the city manager. -Assistant, city manager… Thank ya’ll (See, I was wanting to make sure y’all were paying attention to what I was saying…)

King: Anyway, he’s taking the place of Shawn White, and will be filling in for the remainder of that term, and we thank Shawn for his service.

King: Also, tonight, we should be having one –a good friend of mine- Brett Garner. Is he here? Brett was supposed to talk to us about the Library Board Foundation. They do have a fund raiser coming up, April […] April 12th.

1:46, “The library system, as a whole, generally speaking gets our money from the city, and the county,” King said.

“When I say “The City,” [i.e.] Murfreesboro, Symrna, Eagleville,” said King.

“-And then Rutherford County.”

King: Nothing from the state. Nothing from the federal government. Or, if we do it’s very little. But we also get money from where we raise funds. Things like our “Friends…” groups, Friends of Linebaugh Library, Friends of Smyrna Library, things like those, but also, this one big fundraiser that the Library Foundation Board has, so if you’re interested in that, I’m sure it’s on our website, or the Foudation Board’s website, April 12th.

King: That’s a Saturday, if I’m correct.

King: We’ll move on, now… We are [@] Chapter 3, ladies and gentlemen –oop, not ladies and gentlemen. Today is St. Patrick’s Day –I should be saying, “lads and lasses” (soft crowd giggle). So, we have public comments. I have several guests who have signed up to speak, and I have five people who will speak.

Chairman King: Our first contestant is Angela Tipps. Angela, if you are here, please come on down! -Is she here?

King: Is somebody singing the Price is Right theme song?

Angela Tipps: “Well, I was, yeah.”

King: Thank you! Thank you. -Now, while Angela is coming to the podium, and anyone else that is speaking, you have three minutes. Three minutes to speak.

King, as Angela arrives at the podium: There is a timer in front of Angela on her left, and when the moment she starts speaking, I will hit the timer.

King: Now, you may be asking yourself, ‘why? How come three minutes? How come?’

King: Well, because we want to be nice to other folk that have a chance to speak.

3:52, King: Anybody remember the name Ed Everett? Ed Everett? Anybody remember him? [quiet].

King: You should, because he gave a very famous speech that lasted minimum an hour and a half, if not two hours. Nobody remembers? (an inaudible murmur) -But everyone remembers who spoke after him for, guess what, three minutes (woman laughs).

King: Abraham Lincoln got up after him and gave “The Gettysburg Address.”

4:20, King: It can be done in three minutes, [or] None at all (crowd laughs).

King, to Angela. Behind him: Alright, hang on…

King, to Angela: Now, Angela, speak into the microphone. Give us a test there…

Angela Tipps: Test Test.Oh, Hello. Test Test test.

King: All right, there we are. You’re ready to go.

440, Angela Tipps: Thank you for the opportunity to get to speak to you. I’m miss Angela Tipps. I live at 1323 Richland Place. I was born in Rutherford County, and I’ve lived 50 of my 60 years, here. I teach in the (4:50) MTSU School of Music, and I’m the director of music [and organist] at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

4:55 (-2:13:27), Angela Tipps I had a Linebaugh library card as a child, and nowadays, my husband and I have books on our Kindles, borrowed from the Libby app [Libby, “the library app, for library audiobooks and ebooks,” available where your apps are found].

As soon as my two, now grown, children could write their names, they had library cards.

The Rutherford County Library System raised my kids: story time, summer reading, checking out DVDs for the weekend. The library’s always been an important part of my family’s life.

One of my two adult children is trans. From a very young age, my oldest child, Virginia, never wanted to wear dresses, wanted to play baseball with the boys, and dressed as Jimmy Carter, instead of Rosalyn Carter, in the fifth grade, President’s Day project, at Campus School. What we mistook as a tomboy was really a life-long disconnect between the sex Virginia was assigned at birth, and their gender identity. Neither of had the vocabulary to describe what being Gender nonconforminst was, back then. Perhaps a library book could help us navigate that passage of time.

Angela: Accepting Virginia’s identity as a trans person was a process for me. I was concerned about what my neighbors, friends, and relatives would think, but never about what my God would think. You see, my christian faith tells me that we humans are fearfully and wonderfully made, as the psalm says, and that all people are created in the image of God.

Further, as beloved creations of God, we all have an inherant right to ask for due respect and dignity. Reading a book cannot make anyone trans, or keep anyone from becoming trans, or gay, for that matter.

My family was lucky enought to find our way through the unexpected and unfamiliary territory- and Virginia is thriving, but a book could offfer a life line for young people who are struggling with their identity, and don’t have a stong support system.

***In September, a peer-reviewed study found on the state level found that transgender laws have lead to a 72% increase in suicide attempts. A wholesale ban on books of this topic could make vulnerablecpeople more vulnerable due to a lack of reliable information.

A book might also help YOU, or a child in Your life, better understand a friend, family, or neighbor who is trans.

We talk about parental rights, a lot, but parental responsibility is also important.

Please allow all parents to decide what books their kids are to read.

As you discuss this issue later, I ask you to consider all of God’s children, our siblings in Christ (audience applauded).

Chairman King: Thank you, Angela.

King: Y’all. She did it in less than three minutes (crowd laughs).
7:48, Chairman King: All right. Next up, please –Jessica Robertson.

Chairman King: All right. Next up, please –Jessica Robertson

King: Jessica, whenever you start speaking, can you see the clock, there?

Jessica (8:00) (-2:10:39): Yep.

Chairman King: All right.

8:02, ( -2:10:20), “I haven’t done this in 30 years,” Jessica said/ sighs, seemingly a little upset/teary.

Jessica (proceeding, crying): My name is Jessica Robertson. I live on Roanoke Dr., in Murfreesboro, and I am an RLCS card holder.

On tonight’s agenda, item number nine, “other business” –and I quote- “remove materials that promote, encourages, advocates, or normalizes transgenderism, or gender confusion in minors,” end quote.

I’m going to note here that the word “transgenderism,” is considered derogatory, but you may already know that, and that’s why you chose it. Now, I’m going to define the word, “bigotry,” as found in the Oxford Language’s website.

“Obstenant, or unreasonable attachment to a belief opinion or faction, in particular prejudice against a person or people **on the basis of their membership to a particular group,” or in simpler terms, from dictionary.com, “stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion, that differs from one’s own.

As a mother of a transgender child, the potential erasure of my child in a public setting, such as the library, by members of the board, is deplorable.
I am outraged by the audacity and that belief that this action item is acceptable in any way

Robertson: If my child had been exposed to a book such as the one that will be voted on this evening, it might have helped them find the words to explain the source of their extreme unhappiness, and name their dysphoria long long before I had to hear them confess, “it would so easy to drive my car into a ditch, and be done.”
So, here we are, at a fork in the road. Don’t pretend this action item is about anything other than hate, and the attempted eracusre of actual human beings. Humans have followed a path like this before. (back crowd laugh?) What’s next? Will my child be forced to wear a pink triangle, so that you know how to persecute? Tonight, you could choose to keep books in the library that could save lives, and help you trans neighbors, or you could choose cruelty, bigotry, and hatred (crowd roars for a solid 10:21 –10-34).

Chairman King: Thank you

10:34 (-2:07:51): Chairman: Angela, I hate to tell you, she beat your time […]
Chairman, laughs: Still on –both of them- thank you.

10:42: Chairman King: all right, our third guest speaker, Katie Turner. Katie, are you here, tonight?

10:58, Chairman King: I shouldn’t say tonight, there’s still daylight, if you look out the window.

11:02, Katie: Oh, it feels nice.

Chairman King: All right, can you see the clock there on your left hand?

Katie Turner: Yes.

Chairman King: All right. Whenever you’re ready.

11:08 (-2:18:26) Katie Turner: First of all, thank you for allowing me to speak to you tonight. My name is Katie Turner. I’m a member of the community. I live at 616 Eagle View Dr. I’ve been a patron of the library since its former location was just down the street in the other direction, at Center for the Arts. I took my kid to the Smyrna branch, and now, we patronize the Eagleville branch, as well, because it’s literally just down the road.

Turner: I am here to ask the board to follow its current reconsideration policy of reviewing books based on the title rather than the entire group of books based on their subject matter.

I am around kids all the time. Literally, all the time. I work with children and teenagers in my primary job, I work with children in my secondary job, and I volunteer my time with children, as well.

The book reconsideration policy up for debate on tonight’s agenda will harm people I know (crowd chatter) and even if I didn’t’ know these people, and teens, personally, I would still feel the need to speak up for them.

Children/teens look to the library for information, for recreation and as a safe place in which to be themselves. I know everyone sees the world through their own perspectives, but I think we can all agree that one of the primary messages we send our kids is the American ideal of individualism, that every person has value, every person has goals (crowd cheer), strengths and interests. We tell our kids, ‘You are special,’ ‘You are unique,’ ‘There is no one like you in this world,’ ‘Never has been,’ ‘Never will be, again.’

It’s Barbie’s motto, ‘You can be Anything.’

It’s on my kid’s Hello Kitty sock, that I picked up off the living room floor, last night. Said, ‘I can be anything.’

But, I found in the middle –we are -everyone of us, our own unique person.

Look around the library, and you’ll find a world of books of every kind. They’re each and every one of them special and unique. They each have their own strength. They each have their own target goal audience. Our current library board policy considers each challenged title individually, and I think this should be maintained.

If we were able to remove entire swaths of the collection based on the topic some members of the community disagree with rather than each book own content, what might come next?

I urge the board not to remove materials about transgender topics, and instead, continue considering each title separately.

Thank you so much (crowd cheers).

13:53, Chairman King: Thank you. Thank you very much.

Chairman King: Next, is Janine Castro. Hope I’m pronouncing that correctly…
Y’all, forgive me, I can’t believe I forgot to mention this. And this goes –y’know I mentioned this to our board members…uh… Let me make sure. Did -does everybody got their phone on mute? See? I didn’t myself, so…

…If yall wouldn’t mind, just out of shear respect for one another, here, just silence your cell phones, please.

14:26, Chairman King: Welcome, Janine. Can you see the clock there in front of you? Right there on the left?

Janine Castro: Good evening, everyone. I’m thankful of living in Rutherford County, this great county. Also, able to speak in defense of my children.

First of all, I want to make it clear I have nothing but true love for every human being because we are all created in the image of our creative God.

That said, I am against all kinds of depraved actions that adults try to bring into our community and try to groom our children.

I am advocating for the removal of all material that promotes or normalized transgenderism, gender confusion in minors, and speaking against the reconsideration of the book, “Me and My Dysphoria Monster,” which I have right here.

I’ve read it.

The following definition is from the Web MD: “What is mental abuse?”
“Mental abuse is meant to undermine your self-esteem, and make you feel worse about yourself. It’s also a form of manipulation and control. The effects of mental abuse are just as detrimental as the effects of physical abuse.”

What’s sexual grooming? The action or behavior used to establish an emotional connection with a vulnerable person, generally a minor.”

So, the book talks about –looks nice, at first- but it talks about a dysphoria monster that grows as –this is a boy, that was born a boy, but as he’s being called a boy, the monster is bullying the kid. And also includes sports. The teacher calls him to play sports on the boys team, but the monster got out of hand. He takes the whole room; keeps following him everywhere.

So, finally, an adult convinced him that he had the same problem, and it wasn’t until it was called by the opposite of what every cell in the body of what the person says, that every cell says that you’re a man or a woman, that was able to fix the problem, which is propaganda, and its harmful to the mental, um, or our children.

So, we have a TN law, it says TN code title 39, form 2024, it prohibits the sale, loan, or exhibition of material depicting nudity, sexual activity, or other content harmful to minors, with the violation being a class A misdemeanor.
So, I’m asking, um –it talks about more in detail, but I don’t have time, but I advise those library board members voting for depraved things to resign. I also request the library board members to abide by the Tennessee law and to reprimand and fire the library employees for acting opposite to what the TN law mandates.

In [those?] wants to encourage inadequacies in minors, when in reality, kids need guidance and truth. Parents and teachers need to help their children instead of affirming confusion which leads to mental harm and confusion [timer beeping starts going off] which leads to menal harm and confusion.

Chairman King, to Castro: Okay.

17:40, Jeneanne Castro: Thank you [crowd erupts for over twenty seconds].

18:00, Chairman King: All right. All right, all right, all right. OUr last person, for now, Teletha Cox…

Come on Down!

18:05, Teletha Cox: Hello, I’m Teletha Cox, and I have a Rutherford County/Linebaugh library card. I would like to say throughout history, people have understood that the human person is connected to their body. Our body plays a role in defining who we are. However, there is an alternative view known as “Genosicism[?] [Gnosticism], which poses that our body has no real connection to our identity.

According to this perspective, the body may even be seen as evil while our true selves exist independently from our physical form.

I see parallels between Gnosticism and transgender ideology, which suggests that a person can look like a man, possess male genital –genetics, and yet, if they feel deep down, they’re really, truly a woman, then they are, indeed a woman. I believe this notion is misleading and can lead to underlying, harmful social effects. An article on this subject highlights serious consequences about addressing the personal cost involved.

The University of TX sought to investigate the mental health impacts of transgender individuals who underwent gender-affirming surgery, and they found that those who have the surgery expect significant higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicide, and substance abuse.

Additionally, we must consider the financial impacts.

The cost of surgery ranges between 6,000 to 63,000, to pay on insurance. And with the, um, emergency -…emerging information, um, indicated from such surgeries, this indication might change.

Notably, several European countries, includeing UK, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, have adopted a more cautious approach to gender-affirming care. The shift underscores the importance and protecting our children fromed being mindful of the information received.

After reading this book, what questions do you think the child might have considering from the child’s perspective, especially since the monster never truly disappears. The book raises more questions than answers, and to persuade the young children to question the book’s theme, even if the story is beyond what they can comprehend in their young age.

“I thank you [crowd cheers for a bit],” said Chairman King.

Chairman King: Thank you.

21:00 Chairman King: Uh, I don’t know if you know this or not, but it’s been said that the number one fear is death, and what comes in second? Speaking in public.

“We just heard five people do a very good job. I appreciate y’all’s participation tonight, and each of you should be proud of how you did, so again, thank y’all, and audience, thank you [audience applause],” said King.

An introduction to legislative decorum/Parliamentary procedure:

21:30, Chairman King: now, for the next portion of our show, we open up chapter 4, the review and approval of the minutes of our prior meeting, which was in February.

So, board members, your minutes should have been in your board packet we got last week. I’m sure you’ve had a chance to review those. Any thoughts, discussion about those minutes from last meeting?

21:58, Board member, Marzee Woodard: Mr. Chairman, I make a motion that we approve the minutes, as is.

Chairman: All right. We have a motion to accept the minutes. Second?

[unheard second in audio].

Chairman: We have a second.

Chairman King: So, all in favor of accepting the minutes, as is, say Aye.

Library Board, unanimously: ‘Aye.’

Chairman: And all opposed?

[room quiet].

22:12, Chairman King: “Motion passes, unanimously. Thank you very much.”

[Very quick, about 40 seconds].

22:16, Chairman: All right. Chapter Five, the Consent Agenda. I do not believe we have amything on our consent agenda, tonight, so we move onto Chapter 6. 

22:27, Chairman: [Chapter VI] All right. Reports from our committees to the board. 

Now, if board members, if y’all don’t mind, since we’ve got such a wonderful studio audience with us tonight… Y’all, this is pretty much where the business of the board gets done. 

We will go to the chairperson of the committee that I will call out, and they will report, or give any updates about that committee for the library board. I’m also mentioning this for Sam’s benefit, since this, again, is his very first meeting, so…. 

Our first committee –I laugh becasse it’s our budget finance committee. The committee chair is Lisa Brewer, and unfortuantely, Lisa is not with us tonight, so regardless, I’ll kind of step in and do my best to drive, here.  

Chairman: Let me see… Let me get the minutes out of the way. 

Chairman: Board members, if you’ll look in your packet for the financials, ending February 28^th   

Of this year, and there’re notes about Linebaugh, Smyrna, the MGL location (Eagleville), and the tech. And then followed that, or by, library branch, the Linebaugh page nubmers have two pages. Smyrna has two pages. NGL, two. Eagleville has two pages of financials, and the tech also has two.  So, anything? Anybody have questions about? Anything stand out to anyone about these financials 

[room silence] 

24:17 Chariman: All right. Do we have a motion to accept these? 

Board member, Marzee Woodard: Mr. Chariman, I make a motion that we accept the financials as they are stated.  

Chairman: All right, we’ve got a motion. Do we have a second? 

Board Member Kory Wells, or Susan Quesenberry: I second it. 

Chairman: All right. Thank you, ma’am. All in favor of accepting these financials, please say, ‘Aye.’ 

Board, unanimously: ‘Aye.’ 

Chairman King: Anybody opposed?

[room quiet].

King: All right, perfect. Thank y’all very much. Now, our next one, he’s our bylaws and policies committee, and believe it, or not, we do not have a person in this. So, there is nothing to report from bylaws and policy, at this time.  

25:10, Chairman: Next up will be development and acquisition. Rollie Holden. 

Mr. Holden: I have nothing. 

Chairman King: Thank you, sir. 

Next will be Facilities Maintenance. Also, back to Rollie Holden. 

Mr. Holden: And, I do have something about this. 

Last month, one of these items that’s a carryover, and the same, here –I’ll kinda go over a couple things… On the first item, the pressure washing at the Smyrna library, last month. Ms. Taylor had two bids on it/had gotten two bids, and we talked about it, and for our board policies for any expenses from five hundred and four thousand, nine-hundred and ninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents have to have three verbal or written bids. Between five thousand and nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars, they have to have three written bids on this thing, and so since –by then, she has gotten the third bid…  

Also, normally, if there is money in the line item in a maintenance line item, it does not require board approval for any expenditure under ten thousand dollars, nor do we –there are a couple of exceptions for books and things that can go over ten thousand, but for normal maintenance and normal expenditures, as long as they follow our purchasing guidelines, they don’t have to go through the board. 

While we’re looking at it here, because there is no money in the maintenance reserve for Smyrna. 

We have always, for several years, now, the town council, when we have put in, have zeroed out that money. So, therefore, any maintenance expenditures that like … has to come out of their reserves for Smryna library. So, that requires Board action. So, to kinda get back to it, we do have three bids on this following the poicy. The low bid is J&J Lawncare and Pressure washing out of LaVergne, for thiry five hundred dollars. Ms. Taylor is comfortable with them, so I make a motion that we approve allowing her to pull the thrity five hundred dollars out of the reserves for the Smyrna library to pay for the pressure washing. 

Chairman: All right. 

Unknown board member: Second 

Chairman: All right. We have a motion and a second to take, uh, the company, L&L, if I’m correct… 

Mr. Holden: Yes, si…[…] -J&J.. -I think it’s J&J… J&J. 

Chairman: I heard ‘LaVergne.’ That’s where I threw the ‘L’ in. 

Mr. Holden: Okay. 

Chairman: […] ‘Them.’  

Mr. Holden: Yes. 

Chairman King: -We will take ‘them,’ the person with the low bid out of LaVergne. Okay. 

King: Well, all in favor for this, please say, ‘Aye.’ 

28:00, Board: ‘Aye’ 

Chairman: Any opposed? 

[room quiet] 

Chairman: Congratulations. 

Mr. Holden: All right, on the second item, she went ahead and included this on, for the carpet cleaning and flooring, since that time, they’re going to try and have our Maintenace people do the spot cleaning, so we’re going to hold off on this topic, right not. 

Chairman: Okay. Okay. 

Mr. Holden: That is all. 

Chairman: That wraps it up for develpment and agri –Facilities and Maintencance. Thank you, Rollie. 

Chairman, 28:30: Y’all, if you ever need a good hardware store, it’s literally just right over here. 

Rollie laughs. 

“That’s his Family…” Chairman show says. 

28:39, Chairman: …And I say that to be honest. That’s who’s serving on this board… People who live here, so umm…

Marzee Woodard: Point-person privilege? 

Chairman: Yes, uh… 

Woodard: It is hard to hear over on that side of the room. We couldn’t hear half of what he said, so if we could speak into the mic, that’s gonna be very important, ‘cause we didnt’ hear what all he said at all… 

Chairman: Do we need to repeat it, or anything, for you? 

Woodard: No, I think we’re okay. 

Chairman King: Well, we got somebody from LaVergne to do the pressure washing.  

Woodard: Last meeting, that’s kinda what I picked up that’s what we’re doing.  

Chairman King: But we’re not gonna do that second bullet point.. 

Woodard: Okay. Thank you, sir. 

29: 22, Chairman: Now, our Nominating Committee, Ben Grosse. 

Grosse: Mr. Chairman, there is nothing to report. 

Chairman: All right. Thank you, sir. 

OUr Personnel Committee, Marzee:  

Marzee: I do have something to report, Mr. Chairman.  

If you’ll look on page 21, Board, on your packet, they pronounce their company ‘Deeters and Todd,” rather than what we’ve been saying, but when I talked to Jim Dieters, that’s how he said his company name, and if look in packet twenty one, that’s where we find Deiters letter. The posting for the job search went live, March 3^rd, as of March 5^th, Deiters and Todd alrady had one applicant. The deadline for the applications is March 28^th.  

We must decide which day during the week of April 7^th is a good day to schedule the semi-final, Zoom interviews with the Board.  

Later on in the packet -Let me say this, there is in formation that you might –if you have not already read about the job description, they do have that in there. So, if you’ll please look at your calendars, we need to look at the week of April 7^th, and we need to choose two evenings that we can do a Zoom interview. 

Is that how you would like to do this, sir? 

30:53, Chairman: So far, so good. 

30:58, Chairman: April 7^th through the 11^th, correct? 

Marzee: Yes, sir.   

31:00, Chaimarn: What happens April 12^th? Saturday, April 12^th? What happens? 

Marzee: Fundraiser. 

Chairman: Bingo! Thank you! 

Marzee, laughs. 

31:10 Chairman: Folks, do we want to stick with a Monday, like we always do?  

Marzee: Monday would be great, if everybody is available that day. So, we can put Dave down for Monday, because I guess we have to get Jim Deiters to agree to this, as well? 

Chairman: Okay. 

Marzee: So, I guess that would be just the board, correct? 

Chariman: Correct. 

Marzee: Okay, so Monday will be one day.  

Chairman :And this is a zoom call with Jim, himself? 

Marzee: Yes. And I guess some of the applicants. So, some of the final interviews. 

[Chairman is ‘okay’-ing each sentence after Marzee’s (muffled audio)] 

Marzee: So, Zoom call one would be our first choice, would be Monday the 7^th, and what would you all like to do for the next one? I am not available on the 8^th, or the 9^th. I could manage the 10^th, if I need to, or/and I’m available the 11^th.  

Chairman King: Anyone? 

[muffled audio] other board members, un-mic’d, from afar: There’s nothing wrong with the 10^th.  

Marzee: Okay, the tenth, our second [zoom call]?  

Okay, so we will do that as our second choice 

All right, the next thing we need to look at, Jim asked if we decide which date we’re available for final interviews, May 6^th, or April 23^rd, which is good. I am not available April 26^th.  I’m at a convention, and Korey says she’s is not available, either, so May 3^rd –All right, and Dina says she’s now available April 26^th– so, is May 3^rd good with people? 

Chairman: Agreeing mumble. 

Marzee: Okay, so May 3^rd is good. Everybody agree on that? 

Chairman King: Yeah. And that’s a Saturday? 

Marzee: That’s what he wants to do for final interviews, and that’s when they come in. 

Chairman: Okay. 

Marzee: And that’s when we have live interviews with our director –persons that have been the last two, I guess… 

Chairman King: okay…. 

Marzee, finishing: …for that.  

Chairman: Okay. The first two are on April 7^th and 10^th are on Zoom..  

Marzzee: That is right. 

Chairman: But this one, May 3^rd, is in person, so we’ll have to determine where to have that meeting. 

Marzee: Yes, sir. 

Board member, Ben Grosse, 33:30, Mr. Chairman, the first two meetings, are they at five pm? 

Marzee: I would assume, if –does that work for you, Ben? 

Chairman: well, that was a great point, because a part of me –What if we decide on a time, and Jim says, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, me and the candidate cannot…’ but we could pick a time. I think we should. 

Ben Grosse: I may have something on the 7^th but I can get here if we could push it back to maybe, 6.  

Chairman: It’s a zoom call. We can do it from home, for example. 

Marzee: Yes. 

Grosse: I’m in a meeting at my other employment that would be going on at five. 

Chairman: Okay. 

Marzee: you wanna… 

Chairman: You want before that? 

Marzee: Are they in the same timezone as we are? 

Chairman: Could be. 

Marzee: Okay, so you want to push it back to six, Ben?  Is that what you need to do? 

Ben Grosse: I’ll be honest with you, if we could do it earlier.. 

Marzee: Okay… 

Chairman: Three, four [pm]? 

Marzee: Is everyone okay if we do that earlier? Everyone else? Three or four? 

Chairman: would it be three or four?  It doesn’t’ matter, I can reschedule my appointment. 

Chairman: What’s better for everybody, 4? 

Marzee: 4? 4 sound good? 

Chariman: We good? 4pm? 

Marzzee: Yes.  

Kory Wells: WHat date is it, again, Marzee? 

Marzee: 4 –on the 7^th, 4 o’clock? 

Other lady: Yes, that’s a Monday, too? 

Marzee: Yes.  

Other board lady: Yes, I’m good. 

Marzee: Okay, 4 oclock on the 7^th, okay? 

Chairman: And, Thursday, the10th? 

Marzee: Thursday the 10^th? 

Chairman King: What time? 

Marzee: At what time? 5? 5 that day? 

Another another board lady, Kory: Hey, Marzee, do we know how many candidates expect to speak. 

Marzee: that is something we’ll have to find out, how many we will have at the end 

Marzee: That is a good question, Cory, we will find that out.  

Marzee: Do I have the authority to contact Jim about this 

Chairman King: Yes, you…  All right. Thank you, sir. And I’ll use/say 5 o’clock on the 10^th. 

35:33 Chairman: Okay. 

Marzee: All right? 

Chairman: Okay. 

–Another Board gentleman: Mr. Chaiman? 

Chairman: Yes, sir? 

Other board gentleman: If we could, on the Saturday, this morning of the Arthritis walk, we could have that mid-morning, or later, it would certainly help my schedule 

Chairman: That’s fine with me because I think it would help our candidate who may have to travel in. It may give them time in the event of delay, and such. It’s fine with me. 

Chairman: Any particular time for anyone? 

Marzee: Okay, so what would be mid-morning, Sam? 

Sam: I would say after 10. 

Chairman: How about ten thirty? Is that good? 

Marcy: 10:30? 

Chairman: Now, a location? Would that be at the office on Dowell St.? Hm? At the library -Linebaugh itself? 

Ben Grosse: Yeah, I, myself, would just do it at Linebaugh.  

Chairman King: Okay. Allright. 

Kory Wells: I can try to get the confernce room. I’ll need to make sure it’s available, but I’ll do that… 

Chairman: Okay. 

Mr. Holden: But, will we have to comply with the open meeting laws on this? On these […]reviews? 

Marzee: I think you do. Yes. Kate says Yes. 

Mr. Holden: So, we’re gonna have to make sure whatever we do 

Chair King: -whatever venue. 

Mr. Holden: Yes. On this. And thinking back to when –this- where our previous court did this, now, I want to say in 2008, or 2009, when we hired Rita, if my memory is correct, and I’m not sure if anybody around here was involved with the library, then, but I believe –and I’m not sure if it was the library board, if it was the friends groups, whoever, had a reception, at one time, for library board meetings –foundation. I got involved with it. Being involved with the foundation, and I’m not sure –probably some of our elected officials- were all kind of gathered, and it was held at Linebaugh. Kind of like an informal, get-together for people to meet the finalist, then. So, I’m not if that’s something we may want to try to do to maybe see them in maybe more of an informal situation, or not, but I just wanted to throw out that idea. 

38:00, Chairman: Thoughts anyone? I’m getting some nods of yes, and I think that’s a great idea to do, and I think we’ve asked, [does] this person have a good relationship with the funding bodies? So yeah. It’s a great idea. 

Marzee: Yes, that is a great idea, Riley.  

Chairman: Who’s a good party planner? For us? 

Marzee: Yeah, it is a good idea (Marcy laughs) 

38 ;30, Mr. Holden: And that’s something, if we want you to come up and do it at Linebaugh, or whatever. And just do it that way. 

Marzee:  Mr. Chairman, I just want to compliment the company that we’ve hired to do this search. Marcy, I think it’s Dieters [“Diet-ers”] (laughs). 

Marzee: Dieters? Okay. No, I’ve tried. We’ve gone back and forth on the name of thsi company. Okay  

Marzee: When they called, he was so professional, and nice. The questinos he asked were so professional, so I think we picked a good company to go with (laughs). 

Chairman: I agree.  

Marzee: I’m anxious to hear back from them. 

Chairman: I agree. He has said, in this letter, the job ad began posting on Monday, March 3^rd via the websites at ala, tla, ila, indeed, and through the stone’s river list serve. 

I took a look at the ala listing. There are 22 job openings for that –for a director- in the United States [clicks mouth]. How ‘bout that? So, somebody’s got several to choose from, so y’all behave (crowd murmur). 

Kory Wells: Marzee, I’m sorry. Did we say the April 10^th meeting is probably at five? Is that? -just for the record. 

Marzee: April 10^th meeting, probably at 5, yes, ma’am. 

Chairman King: And Saturday at May 3^rd, 10:30am, with the location, Saturday the 3^rd, tentative, at Linebaugh, as well. 

40:10, Chairman: And if I’m correct, all three are at Linebaugh? Am i right as I make my notes? 

[…]40:22, Chairman: oh, from zoom (laughs). Thank you for keeping me in line. 

Marzee: Those first two -I mean, we’re gonna make a decision on one or the other, and they’re gonna be Zoom calls, yes. 

Chairman: Okay. Okay. That’s fine. 

Marsy: That’s the conclusion of my report. 

Chairman, 40:43: Thank you, Marcy. Everybody good?  

40:45, Chairman: All right. Next up, Strategic Planning. …Corey. 

Cory: Yeah, I was absent last time, but I understand there was some discussion of just delaying the next iteration, or update, of our strategic plan until we hire a new director, so just for the record, I’m going to put that in here, but I also wanted to say we have so many new board members that I will be sending out the latest copy of the strategic plan [get it], as well as some data that’s been collected the last few years that relates to some of our chairs’ interest in obtaining feedback from the community and all, just so everybody’s got it. So, I don’t think we need to vote, or anything. 

Chairman King: Correct. 

Cory: I just wanted to make note of that.  

Chairman King: Good idea.  

41:35, Cory and Chairman King say “Thank you,” at the same time. 

Chairman: Thank you. 

Chairman: All right, and last on there is the Ad Hoc committee, which would be mine. 

41:37, Chairman King: All right, and last on there is the AdHoc committee, which would be mine.

Chairman King: Umm, there is no ad hoc committee at the time. However, what I would like to do, when we have a new director, and I actually tually spoke with Middle Tennessee State, this past week. They apologized, “Phil, I’m sorry I haven’t gotten back with you on this but we haven’t forgotten you.

What I would like us to do, if you can, is to find out what does the community want in a library system.

For example, I’ll use Murfreesboro. Murfreesboro: 40% of the citizens have a library card. That’s a good number. 60% don’t, and I’m just very curious as to why not.

Of the 40% that do have a library card, how many don’t? And those that do use it, how often?

Y’know, what is it that people want from the library?

I’ve joked with Mindy [Barrett], and she was very nice about it, I did not realize you can borrow Go-Pro cameras/that our library system has Go-Pro cameras for you. That’s fantastic. And here I sit, and I didn’t know! And, could that be why people don’t use the library, becuse they don’t know.

So, that would be the committee that’s like Strategic: Let’s get a director, and let’s move forward with that, but MTSU hasn’t said, “no,” but they’ve said, “we’ll get around to you, as soon as we can,” so…

43:17, Chairman King: All right, our next […] Chapter Seven: The Reports from Our Libraries and Support Organizations. Uhh… first up would be Linebaugh, if y’all are, if y’all want to, or would you just want to go over the letter? Mindy?

43:30, Mindy Barrett: So, as needed, I have received notes from the text, just to add a few things that have happened since the report has been submitted.
Chairman King: Okay. Good.

Mindy Barrett: Um, their pie day was a success, which was March 14th.
[Mindy proceeds to cover math-related games, the homeschool club, posters made in Canva; Phil King endorsing Canva; Wild Goose Chase events at Oaklands in April, and Mindy’s System Director report.

47:12, Mindy: I am going to be out of the office April 18 – 22, so I’ll miss the next board meeting on April 21st. I had so many people willing to volunteer (laughter in the background) to serve in this -at that next meeting- but I decided to go with Kathlene, so she’ll be taking notes and serving. I appreciate that. And that is all I have.

Chairman: Okay.  

Chairman: Kate, do you need anything from the Stones River? 

Kate: Only that I will have the Standards Report, and Data Collection Report, and Metro Comparison Report at the next meeting, and you will all be emailed that beforehand, beforehand, because it’s a lot of data to look at. 

Chairman: Good. Okay. All right. 

Chairman King: All right. Well, folks, that ends Chapter seven, and that’s all the reports from all the libraries and the director of the Stones River Regional Library.  

[…] 48:17, Chairman King: Now, Chapter 8. Chapter 8: Part Two of our Public Comments.
Chairman King: I have five people, and let’s see.. Let’s start off with Michelle Johnson. Is she here?
Chairman King: If so, Come On Down!
Chairman King: All right, Michele, if you don’t mind, just speak into the mic and make sure it works, please…
48:44, Michele: Testing [it works].
Chairman: All right
Michelle: Okay
Chairman King: And whenever you’re ready. You see the clock there on your left.
Michelle: Okay, thank you.
48:52, Michelle Johnson: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for having me here, tonight, on

the board, and also fellow community members.
I had written something that I though was eloquent, but I have since side-lined that on my way here. I felt moved to switch that up, and I appreciate wherever Katy went. I don’t know where she went, but I appreciate what she said about people being uniquely made, and I just want to affirm that I feel that one of the things that’s missing from the whole book scenario is Love, and I just felt compelled that love is what’s needed to be shared here, tonight.
Coming from a person that was a child that was exposed to all kinds of things that children shouldn’t’ be exposed to –so, I have a voice of a child- and I can tell you that those things implored me to do things to myself and to my body that I wish I never did, and subsequently, um, had to have surgery to remove things that I put in my body because I didn’t look like the magazines, or the videos, or the things I got exposed to as a child, or even in buks that my parents had that, y’know, they didn’t see the need to protect me from. And subsequently, I have nerve damage, I have, um -and that was because that I enhanced myself from the front. I had decided that my health was no longer good. That was a factor, and so what I want to share tonight, that if we cause children to go down this road, they can make decisions that they will regret for the rest of their lives, and when we expose them to things that [sighs]. They don’t have the level to understand, and that is really sexualizing them, and coming from a person that has had that happen, it’s very detrimental. So, I want to share this because children, they don’t have to capacity for this, and if we say we love them, and if we say that we love them
–that, ‘you are loved,’-and ‘We Love You,’ that we should want to tell that person the truth, okay?
Love is truth, and if we segue way into perpetuating something that isn’t true, then we are in fact doing the opposite. If I were to tell you I agree, I’m telling you I hate you, and that’s not how I feel. We shouldn’t want that to be what goes forward. We deliver the opposite when we do not deliver the truth. We’re, in fact, giving somebody Hate.
If we believe something, and we don’t tell the truth, then we’re hating. We’re hating somebody. And, so I stand to say and deliver (crowd interruption from back)
51:54, crowd member: [Are you saying I cannot take my child? Raise my child?]
Also, alarm starts beeping.
Michelle: No!
Chairman King: Hold up…
Michelle. No. No

Michelle.: I’m saying what I want because we love our children so much sometimes [we’re rolling!(?)]
Chairman King: Thank You.
Michelle: [We’re ruling!(?)]
Chairman King: Thank you [Crowd applause].
[Another crowd member sounds to be heckling]
52:05, crowd cheers for a solid twenty seconds.
Chairman King: Okay.
All right. Is Heather Cooke with us, tonight? Heather, are you here? -Is Heather here, I can’t -okay.
Crowd member: Yeah, she is!
Chairman King: Okay, good.
Okay, y’all. If y’all don’t mind, everybody was very good about the first five. Let’s please, if you don’t mind –I understand you’re passionate about it, be respectful of each of the five speakers… Oh… I guess so
(Heather muffled, speaking to CHaiman King, not into mic, yet)] […for childrens… teach … the…].
Chairman King: Oh, okay. All right.
53:00, Chairman King: So, take the podium, there. Test the mic for me, please.
Heathe Cooker: Test.
Chairman:King And you can see the clock there to your left?
Heather: Yes. […] 53:10, Oh, this one? I was looking at this one (laughs).
This one work too?
Chairman: No, it does not.
Heather: Okay. Gotcha. All right. Hello, and happy St. Patrick’s Day. My name is Heather Cook, and I’m a resident of Rutherford County. Like St. Patrick, I’m here to shine a light into the darkness. To stand for the truth, and opposition for the deception of transgender ideology, and gender confusion, which ultimately leads to gender dysphoria and the mutilation of our children.
Deception is to cause someone to accept something is untrue or valid that is acutally false and invalid. Science has proven that every cell in our bodies identifies us as male or female, just as God created us. No hormone or surgery can change that.
To lead children to believe anything contrary to that is an abomination for which we will be held accountable. Evil is being –is being accepted as good, and good is being called evil. Truth seems to be nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes prey.
The only way to overcome deception is truth, and whether we choose to belive it or not, this is the truth, the only eternal, unchanging truth that will ever come the lies being told to our children, and to us.

The answer to everything is found in this book.
The brief time we have between our birth and death is an open book test, and all of the answers are in this book. We must teach our children that the God of the universe created them. He formed them in their mother’s wombs. With plans and a purpose for their lives, just as he created them to be. He loves them just as they are, and he doesn not make mistakes. This is the instruction manual he has given us to live this life as he inteded us to live. We have to stop lying to our children. We have to overcome evil with good. We have to teach them the truth so they can recognize the lie.
I am not speaking out of judgement, or condemnation. I’m speaking out of love and compassion. It breaks my heart to see so many people being deceived, and teaching that deception to their children. We have to teack them the truth so they’ll be able to recognize and overcome the lie. Thank you, and God bless you (crowd goes wild).
55:50, Chariman King: All right, our fourth speaker, Brittany Pittman.
59:00, CHairman: All right, Brittany, can you see the clock to your left? The big one right there? And, we… …go ahead.
56:06, Brittany Pittman: Hi. My name is Brittany Pittman. I am a mother of three, and I live here in Murfreesboro. I homeschool my oldest child. I’m gonna homeschool my soon-to-be four-year-old…
I rely Heavily on the library.
I have a million books at my house, but there is not enough dragon books in the world that I could put on my shelf for my twelve-year-old. I rely heavily on the library.
All that said, I’m gonna take a different approach to this issue, then some people have said, I can hear how much everyone Loves their children, and everyone who loves their children have come up with some different conclusions, and leads into my thought.
My oldest son, I adopted him out of foster care, and so we sometimes have to do things a little different than other families do. And that’s okay. We adapt and do it.
The move Trolls 3 came out, and I don’t know if you guys have seen it or not. It’s not a controverial movie, people love it, they’re cute, there’s dancing trolls, they’re singing. We could not go see it becuase the plot of that movie was that this troll had been separated from his siblings, and the whole movie was about them having to band back together and –they were a boy band… They had to get the band back together to save the other troll, but I knew if my son had

seen the sweet little dancing trolls trying to get together with their siblings, he would Devastated. Devastated.

It was not right for my son.

It was wonderful for so many other people’s childrens. My son’s now twelve, and he has seen it, but what I’m saying is we do not need –and I understand we’re not a government agency. We’re a library. I’m not trying to be dramatic- but we don’t need the library to make decisions for our other parsnts.

More books is always better.

More opportunities to read this story –that story –or anyother story is Better.

We don’t need to make decisions for one another.

I’ve heard people saying, ‘We don’t need to teach our kid, and I say ‘We need to teach our kid,’ period! I need to teach my kid –You need to teach your kid – She needs to teach her kid –We need to Teach Our Kids. There’s parental responsibility. And it ends there. Thank you (crowd goes apey).

59:10, Chairman King: All right. Next up, Kelly Northcutt. Kelly? […] Come on down. Help yourself to the podium, there, and you see the clock, there, to your left?
Kelly: I do, sir.
Chariman: All right. Wehenver you get started –whenever yuo’re ready.
Kelly Northcutt: Thank you so much.
59:32: Hi, I’m Kelly Northcutt. I live here in Murfreesboro. I’ve lived here for over twenty years, and raised my three children here, and utilitzed the library, quite a bit. The summer programs, or reading programs.

Everything. The puppet shows… It’s a wonderful asset to Rutherford County. And I understand that some people don’t believe that trans- or non-binary is a real thing, and that’s okay. I’m sure you understand there are people in our community who do believe it is a real thing. It is a real life for them, and their children, as in my case.
Our library has a mission to serve all of the citizens of Rutherford County.
All of them.
Not just the citizens that don’t believe that it’s true, but those who do, and those who don’t.
These would seem to be at odds, but they really aren’t.
If the book under consideration –any book- does not fit your beliefs, leave it on the shelf for those who would like it, for those who may need it, for those children who may need it to feel that they are not wrong, that they are not unacceptable.
We are a welcoming community, and we have to capacity to contain the multitudes.
We have the capacity to hold more than one thought. Even within your lifetime, I’m sure you changed your mind about somethings that you held dear earlier in your life.
We need to entertain more than one possible thought and leave that option up to individuals.
There are books that I will never check out (laughs a little). They just aren’t for me. They are biographies of people I don’t like. I’ll never read those. There are books on trigonometry. I’m not going home with that (crowd chuckles), but someof them directly counter my beliefs, but they should remain for someone, and I strongly believe everyond should have the same faith I exercaise to make their own choice for them or their children.
No book on a shelf has ever

harmed anyone, so my plea to you is, Leave it on the Shelf. If it’s not for you, leave it on the shelf.
You can control what your children take out.
You can talk to them and express your beliefs to them.
That is not just our right. It’s our responsibility.
-But allow me to do the same for my children.
If you’re uncomforable with discussing to topic, you can redirect your child, but leave it [Alarm starts beeping]…
…On the shelf (a siren of audience cheers and claps).
1:03:56, Chairman King: All right, our last speaker, [reverend]
Chris Warren.
Chairman: Chris Warren, welcome to the podium, sir.
Reverend Warren: I’m glad that I was here. I wasn’t notified that I was taking off the wait list, so I have nothing prepared to tell you (laughs) but I will share a little bit about myself. I am a pastor, here, in Rutherford County. I pastor a church just down the street. I have many people in my congregation who have meny different idenetiites that some of the people in this room would probably not agree with. I’m sorry for that, but I love them. They’re good people. They’re importatnt people. They’re made in God’s image, and they desverve to be seen at.
I believe its really importatnt to be open and affirming with people because everybody’s coming from somewhere. I don’t know any of you very well. I don’t know what your backstory is –I’m really sorry for those of you who have had bad things happen to you in the past that’s

changed the way you think about things. I’m concerned about something, though, that I continue to hear. I’ve been to the school board meetings, as well.
Something that I continue to hear is an emphasis on the use of The Bible –I’m a pastor. I’ve studied the Bible. I believe the Bible. I Love the Bible. It’s a great work… It’s got a lot of sex in it.
.
It’s got a lot of stuff that you guys wouldn’t want your children to check out from the library.
Um, if that’s a probelm –if sex is a problem, then the bible is not the book for you…
But the bible is the book for you, right?
So, there are other things in the Bible that’re important, and there are things in this book that people are wanting to take off the shelves, that’re also important, that’re life-giving.
The statistics I didnt’ have becuase, again, I didnt’ know I was speaking –the statistics for suicide attempts for children who are LGBTQ+ -Off The CHarts.
“And it’s not…” – 1:05:00: Crowd member from the back “That was recently de-bunked!!”
Chairman King: Okay. Okay.
Pastor Warren: I don’t know. I don’t know what story –I don’t know what she’s reffering to, but every article I’ve ever read shows that kids who are LGBTQ are much more likely to attempt suicide because the society tells them that they’re wrong, that they’re not good enough, that they don’t fit in, that they’re not as good as people who are heterosexual. That’s just not fair. These are children.

These are people that we should loving, not people we should be judging.
And I think that if we just give people the opportunity to have the materials that will help them to feel good about themselves, …. there’s no harm in that.
You might think there’s harm in that, but we’re….
-I work with kids at my church all the time who are very hurt by people who would say things like that, and I’m sorry you feel the way you do, but I’m going to continue to love all of my kids at my church, whether they’re heterosexual, homosexual, lgbtqia-whatever, because they’re God’s children (crowd audience members, ‘Amen,’ ‘Amen!’ (Crowd cheers and applause, for a solid ten seconds).
1:06:27, Chariman King: Abraham Lincoln would be proud of everybody. Y’all kept it under three minutes! All ten of you!
Audience member from the back, ‘Woooooo!’
1:06:36, Chairman: With that, that wraps up our public comments, and we move into Chapter 9… “Other Business.”
Chairman King: Board members, if it’s okay, I have had a request to flip-flop our two bullet points [on the bottom of the agenda]. Is that okay with the board?
1:06:56, Board member, Cory York: What’s the rationale of that?
Chairman: Just to go over the bottom one first [the book review].
York: I think the discussion of the first one will come into play on the second one.
Chairman King: Okay. Does everyody agree with this? Does everybody want to go with number two, or number one?
Kory Wells: I personally, think that digging into some specifics of the book would make the more general conversation go quicker, and we get

and we get home to dinner faster.
Chairman King: Well, what’dy’all think?
Marzee: I think we should go over the book first.
Wells: I second that.
Chaiman Kingr: Is that okay with everbody? Okay.
Chairman King: We have a request for consideration. Does anybody have the book with us, tonight? Did anybody bring the…. Thank you…
Chairman King: Uh, this request was submitted January 28th by a Murfreesboro resident named Alice, and she wrote -the question on the form… Lemme back up… The book is titled, “Me and My Dysphoria Monster.” Author, Laura Kate Dale. And they […] got the book, checked it out, and [Alice] said -the question on the form: “Do you represent yourself or an organization?” She represents herself, and she wrote, “Showed the book to many, many people. They all agreed it would cause harm to their children.
To what in the material do you object? Please be specific. Attach additional pages, if needed.” And she wrote, “False info.”
“Did you read, view, or listen to the entire work?”
“Yes.”
“For what age group would you recommend this material?”
“None.”
“Are you aware of any reviews or critiques of this work, yes or no?”
Chairman: She checked both
“Recommeded action to be taken?”
“Withdrawal.”
1:09:17, Chair: And, so with that, if anybody wants to look at the book [clears throat] -excuse me… -Mindy has it. The recommendation from staff, “remain in the collection in its current location.”
“We got the book Sept. 2022, and since that time, it has been

checked out eight times.”
“The staff’s recommendation is, the request for consideration states this book includes false information.”
“Gender dysmorph… -Gender dysphoria refers to psychological distress that results between incongruence between ones sex assigned at birth and ones gender identity, and is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders –Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision, DSM V-TR,” and that is coming from staff.
Chairman King: So, with that, I’ll open it up, Ladies and Gentleman…
1:10:27 Chairman King: yes
Marzee: I would like to see this book withdrawn.
Chairman King: Okay.
Marzee: And my reasoning is, I was a schoolteacher for thirty years. I’ve been a Bible School teacher for 45 years. I am my –I was dissappointed in this book for a number of reasons. When I –it’s beautiul in the outside, beautiful pictures- but when I looked at it, I.. -and read the book –and I read it from cover to cover, and everthing that was in it, and I do that with al lthe books, and I take this, and every book selection that we have seriously- I looked at it. I think, one, the book is too mature of material for the children. When I came on this board, my thing was, […] I was here for the children. My thing was childhood education, and that’s what I have my degree in. And, also education, etc.
Marzee: I believe that we must protect our children.
When I brought my own children to the library, I brought them in and they got to pick books off the shelf, and they got to read them.
You can’t do that, now. My daughter brings her children, and she gets books off the library shelves –she has to look at everything before she can even let her children loo at the book becuase it has to be reviewed. She says that there’s no trust in our libary now becuase you have to lolok and see if its okay material for a young child. I think that we’re causing confusion in children. I did not have any children in my program in all the thiry years I taudht, that had difficulty.
I’m not saying that there’s not. I believe that there are children that have some confusion, but I also think that we’re putting things in children’s heads at times.
I’t not –one of my grandsons came to me ans said, “I want to be an astronaut. Do I sign him p that day and put him in NASA? No, I don’t do that. I’m going to help him with whatever it might be, but I just don’t

think that –and another thing… I had some difficult problems in my own.. I was sexually assaulted as college student, and I had to find my own way.
I think that we have to help people wherever they are in their life, but I think that the problem is when we do –when we give people books that they are not ready for, then we have a problem with confusing them. We’re planting the seed, and we’re not helping where we need to be for young children, and we’ve got to protect them, and this book does not do this.
Chairman King: Okay.
(audience appluase and whistle)
1:13:48: Chair King: Mindy, correct me if I’m wrong… The book would be found in what part… I can’t -I can’t, I’m drawing a…
Mindy: It’s the picture book… Easy…
Chair: Um, am I right in the….
Mindy: It’s all ages. Picture books can vary in reading levels.
Chairman King: I’m getting mixed up in the research for myself. I think the book was written by.. -the publisher was aiming [ages] six to ten.
Chairman King: Dina, do you… Did you have a…
1:14:17, Board Member Dina Piazza, Thank you Mr. Chairman. I think it’s time to make my statement?
I asked for that, and I”m gonna try to be fast, okay?
Dina: As a board member of our Library System, I believe that the book, “Me and My Body [Dysphoria] [Monster],” should be removed from our collection, particularly because it’s not appropriate for children ages six to ten.
At these stages of development, these children are still vulnerable, and lack the maturity to process complex topics, like body dysmorphia, without proper guidance. They require age appropriate, scientifically accurate education about their body, focusing on the biological truth of male and female anatomy. This is not a matter of personal belief, or religious convictions. It is about common sense, and responsibility we have as adult to guide children in their formative years, just as we would not allow a child to smoke, drive a car, or engage in other activities that could harm them. We must also sit down the reason we information we expose to them: providing materials that are not developmentally suitable, can confuse and mislead them during a critical period of growth. Furthermore, the Amercian College of Pediatricians has raised concerns about the potential harm of transgender interventions on children. I have the article right there.
They emphasize that children

need guidance and support to navigate their developmental time rather than exposure to concepts that may not align with their cognitive and emotional readiness. While the book may have value for some people –an older audience- it is not appropriate for younger children who are still forming their understanding of themselves, and the world around them. Finally, as stewardsef tax-payer dollars, we must assure that library resources are allocated to the materials that are both educational, suitbalbe, and intended audience. It is our duty to prioritize the well-being and develpmental time of the children in our community by providing them with content that is safe, constructive, and aligned with their developemtal needs. Some may say you’re against intellectual freedom. While intellectual freedom is important, it does not mean exposing young children to material that is not age appropriate. Protecting children from potentially confising them from harmful content is not censorship. It is a responsibility. Libraries can maintain intellectual freedom by mainting books in other sections. We talked about that before. Parental and personal choice. You may say you are against parental and personal choice while parents play a key role in guiding their childrens reading .A Public Libarty shoudl also consider it’s responsibilitiy toward the community at large.
Tax-payer-funded resources should prioritize materials that are broadly accepted as suitable for developmental stages of young readers. Parents can still seek these specific books outside of the library -Who’s saying they cannot?
Also, you might say you’re not representing the matters of the community –the matters of our society… Representing is indeed valuable, but the key concern, here, is the age group.
Being targeted, sensitive topics like body dysmorphia for older children and adults who can process them, but exposing young, impressionable prematurely may do more harm than good.
Representing must align with the developmental readiness.
You may also say, “The development

opment of critical thinking? What are we going to do about that?”
While critical thinking is essential, children ages 6-10 are in stage of development where they are still forming their foundation understanding of their world. Introducing controversial topics at this stage could overwhelm them, rather than empower them. Critical thinking can be cultivated with age-appropiate material tailored to their cognitive ability, and that can continue on, and on.
Dina: I yield my time. Thank you very much (audience applause).
1:19:18, Marzee Woodard: Mr. Chairman…
Chairman King: Yes?
Marzee: I make a motion that this book be removed from the Linebaugh Library [applause and whistles, yells] [about ten seonds?]
Chair: Okay.
Another guy/York?: Order please.
Chairman: Y’all hold up. Y’all hold up. So –everybody, please.
York: So Chairman, I believe the motion was made, so that would be a second.
Chairman King: So. Okay. THanks for reminding me.
Chair: So, we have a motion, and a second, to remove the book, “Me and My Dysphoria Monster,” from the Lindebaugh shelf.
1:19:55, Chair: Any other further discussion on this motion?
1:20:00, Board Member Kory Wells: Please…
Chair: Go right ahead.
Wells: Obviously you all feel very passionately about this, and I appreciate you so much. I do think that it’s very clear that you all don’t think it’s appropriate for this age group. I think that there is a serious impact of us removing it completely, in terms of serving our community, and honestly, also in terms of possibly being sued. And I think we need to talk about that before me make a final decision…
1:20:43, Wells: As far as serving our community, clearly, we have community members here who do want the book, who do want books like this, to be in our library. And Marzee, I feel completely for what

youre saying as well. You feel like a child just can’t walk in –when all this started -the decency ordinance, some time ago- I had joked we needed a puppies and kitties section of the library where Everything is just, y’know, it’s not controversial. We know we can go up, and it’s not going to offend anybody. But I would also submit to you there are other books that also are something that a child can pick up and you’re not ready for. I can remember with my children, and they might pick a book up that’s about death of a grandparent, and I’m not ready to talk to my young children about death, yet. Or a gravely ill child, or racism or slavery, or The Trail of Tears. All of these things are things that exist in the picture book section, so this is only one other topic.
I want to say that you are talking about people I care about, very much, and again, I also care about your grandchildren’s and your children’s experience, too.
And again, I thank the speakers, tonight, for sharing what you’ve had to say. I know you care very deeply from whatever perspective you have, but a library is supposed to bring a community together, and if we cannot find a way to serve all our commuinty, then we are not doing our job [crowd applause and cheers, yells -one”Amen!!”]
Chairman King: Okay, okay. Thank, y’all.
Wells: So, my proposal, I would –what I would hope is we could at least move the book up to the next level, or to some level, if we’re- so it is still available to people. At least to parents to go and check it out if they are seeing things about their children, and they want to be able to have some sort of resource, as some of our speakers said, that would help them.
1:23:29, Chairman King: Cody, yes, sir?
Cody: So, I think the, this book, along with, kind of, other books that talk about transgenderism and promote gender confusion, these books contain misleading information and incorrect information, making them unsuitable for children (crowd murmur).
As a system, we have an obligation to insure that educational material that we provide have accurate information, and that we shound, and can and should remove vbooks that are misleading, so to the poiont of the legality of this action, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, greater Miami Chapter, sued Miami Dade county school board. Now, this is a school board, so it’s not direct connection, so we often include

School Board vs. Pico […], the school board decision in books and libraries to look at how public libraries should handle those things. So, the Miami Library removed a book that was about Cuba, because it was factually incorrect. And, this notable case allowed –involved Miami Dade school board to remove the book, “A Visit to Cuba,” in 2006.
The removal was based on complaints that the book presented an overly favorable and factually incomplete protrayal of life in Cuba. The ACLU challenged the decision in court. It was first in the US Court of Appeals on the 11th circuit ultimately upheld the school boards removal of the book.
1:26:00, Cody York: That was based on the fact that the book was not factually correct, and therefore did not have educational value.
Cody York: The school board argues…
Wells: So how is this book not factually correct?
Cody: That… That… Let me get to that. Let me pull it up… So, on page 16. The book says, quote, “Sometimes, the doctor isn’t right. Sometimes people are told they’re a boy when, actually, that person knows that they are a girl.”
1:26:34, Cody, to room: Boys are boys, and girls are girls (crowd applause and whistle).
Cody: There are two sexes…
Audience member in back, heckles, “[Fortunately, there are not(?)!]”
Chairman, to audience: Stop.
Cody: There are two sexes: male and female.
Audience members: No, there’re not! (audience erupts)
Cody: These are determined….
Chairman: Hey. Hey. Guys. Y’all. Please
Hecklers: “…where you get your information!!”
Chairman: Everybody was respectful when the other ten people spoke. Let these eight people speak, okay? That’s all I’m asking. We appreciate you being here, but let us do this. And we can’t do it with catcalling, okay? It’s as simple as that. Cody, please finish. Where were you?
Cody: There are two sexes: male and female. These are determined by reproductive anatomy, and the presense of either xx, female, or xy, male sex chromosomes. Now, there are rare medical conditions wehere individuals atypical chromosomal represemtation, or hormonal patterns, however these do not constitue sex-seperate sexes, but rather variations within the male/female, bilogical framework. From a strictly biological and reproductive perspective, sex

is binary, as it is based on the role of an organ –that the organism plays in reproduction, either producing large gymates or small gymates.
Cody: So, one may ask, “well there are books in the children section that may not represent –that may not be factually correct.”
For example, Clifford.
Many books in our children’s section are not scientifically accurate. We have a giant red dog. We have mice that can talk. And we have a wardrobe that’s a doorway to another realm. However, these books do not claim to reflect reality. They are not presented themselves as factually correct. Although they may present a morale lesson, they are generally for entertainment and arent making factual claims about biology and mental health.
Dogs have four legs.
Any dogs that deviates from that description has something wrong with it, but it’s still a dog.
There are no –there is no educational value in encouraging children to participate in delusion or sexual perversion (crowd applause).
Chairman King: Okay. Yes. Mind –yes.
Branch Manager, Linebaugh, Mindy Barrett: I would just like to do a point of clarification. So, this book, “Me and my Dysphoria Monster,” gender dysphoria is real. Whehter you –not everyone who is transgender has gender dysphoris, so if we/re talking about somthing that is factual, and we’re making sure that it’s real, whether you believe that someone can be transgender, or not, gender dysphoria is a real psychological distress that comes from an incongruence from once’s sex to one’s gender idnentiy. That’s a fact that’s from the Diagnositc institution Manual of mental disorders. It is a diagnosis.
So, for this specific book, “Dysophoria,” is a diagnosis that is true (audience applause and woots)
Chariman: Okay. Okay okay. Do you want to say something Cody?
Cody: Again, on page 16, and several times througout the book, but om page 16, it says, “Sometimes tthe doctor isn’t right. Sometimes the people who are told they are a boy, when acutally the person knows they are a girl.”
Wells: So, Cody, I took that to be a description of thte child expressing their dysphoria -of expressing their discomfort that something seems wrong, and nowhere in that book does –is there actually something said that htis person is going to have medical intervention, or they’re going to do anything… To me, it’s a character expressing their discomfort.
Cody: On page 29, it says, “a trans-person may go to a doctor

and get medication that puts their current puberty on hold. They may start hormone replacement therapy. They may eventually get surgery to alter aspects of their body.”
“Any medication offered such as hormone-delay medication is reversible.”
THis is also -so, you’re incorrect. The book is also advocating for modification. It’s advocation for surgery,
(Crowd ups a little) Chairman: hold up…
Cody: or hormone treatment process –which by the way, is illegal in the state of TN (crowd applause)
Wells: It, it -it….
Chairman King, to crowd: Hold up. Let Cory talk… Let Cory talk.
Cory: Do what? I’m sorry.
Chairman: I said Let Cory talk.
Cody: Oh…
Mindy: It does say, “may.”
Cody: So, if the book said, “may?” A transgender people “may” commit suicide, and present that as a viable option? THat would be terrible.
“This –TCA 6- 6- 68-33-101 says, quote, “Therefore it is the pupose –this is TN law, ‘Therefore it is purpose of this chapter to prohibit physical procedures from being administered to, or performed on, minors, when the purpose of the mdical procedure is to enable a minor to identify with, or live as a proported identity inconsistent with the minors sex, or treat proported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minors sex and ascerted identity.’”
This book as advocating something that is illegal in the state of TN.
Wells: Now, we’ve had this kind of discussion before, though. Just becuase somethings in a book does not mean that –it is illegal- does not mean that we cannot have that book in our library.
Cody: So, if I would say if there was any book that is advocating a monor to commit a crime in the state of TN, we should remove it from our library (crowd erupts a little,again).
Chairman King: Alright, then’on. In the back of the book –and I’m just picking up- because, in my research of the book, there is an adult guide. It is. They’re not numbereed. I dont’ know which it is.
The guides aims for adult terminology which they might find helpful as a suplement to this book, terms included man not be directly involved with this story, but all for a vocoabulary for answering quesitons children might have about gender. And then, under medical trnas –medical cann- -give me a second… Medical transition. Medical transition is all of th

parts of what transition a doctor is involved in, which requrie waiting lists and assessments.

“As an adult, a trans person might go to a doctor to get meditation –medication- that puts their current puberty on hold. They might start hormone repleac3ment therapy to develop physical characteristics that align more with their gender and may eventually get surgery to alter aspects of their body.”

“Transition-related surgeries are never performed on children and typically require several years of doctors’ visits before anything moves forward. Any medication offered in late teens, such as hormone-delaying medication is reversible and can be halted if the teen changes their mind about how they feel.”

Chairman King: I’m just reading it straight out of there. Unfortuantley, I don’t know if….I mean…
Cody: That is… That’s factually incorrect on many levels (crowd erupts, again, “Decide right now!”)
Chairman King: Okay. Okay. Okay. – I mean, does anyone else want to review the book? Anyone? [crowd clacks off].
Chairman: Any other discussion? … Cause we’ve got a motion, and a second, on the floor…
Board Member Ben Grosse: Chairman?
Chairman King: I think –Yes, Ben? If you can get the mic on.
Board Member Ben Grosse, into mic: I think based on my current understanding of first amendment, jurisprudence that is binding on us as a publically funded entitiy. I don’t think I can constitutionally ban a book of this sort (crowd goes wild). I just can’t.
Ben Grosse: And it’s not because I agree with it by any stretch, I just don’t -I can’t- as an officer of the court I know I can’t vote for something I know that I cannot constitutionally do (crowd applause).
Chairman King: Any other comment (crowd still going) -Okay everybody.
Any other board members? Any other discussion on this motion?
If there’s no further discussion, I do need to take a voice vote.
The reason being, the last time we voted on a book, we did it a roll call vote –sorry. We did a vocie vote, and ther was no mistaking if it passed or failed, but we were asked the question who did what? And we literally couldn’t asnwer the question, who voted, and how.
And so, with that, if there’s no further discussion, we will go to a roll call vote on this, so…
1:37:44, ChairmanKing: Motion to state the book, “Me and

My Dysphoria Monster,” removed from Linebaugh library
Chairman: And I’m jsut going as the names printed: Ben Grosse?
Ben Grosse: No
Chairman: K. Rollie Holden?
Mr. Holden: audio was quiet.
Chairman: K. Sam Huddleston…
Sam: Yes.
Chairman: Dina Piazza.
Piazza: Yes.
Chairman: Susan Quizinberry
Susan Quizinberry:Yes,
Chairman: Kory Wells
Kory Wells: No
Chairman: Marzee Woodard
Marzee Woodard: Yes
Chairman: Cody York
Cody York: Yes
1:38:38, Chairman: K. [counts to himself]. We have five yes to remove, two no, and one abstain, so the motion has pa….
Kory Wells: Did you vote, Phil? Sorry, I didnt’ get..
Chairman King: No. I vote in a tie-breaker.
Secretary Wells: How did you get five? I maybe… I maybe wrong.
Chairman King: The yeses are, Sam, Dina…,
Kory: Dina. I missed Dina. Sorry.
1:39:15: Chairman King: …Susan, Marzee and Cody. The nos were Ben, and yourslef, and Rollie absained, so it’s five-two-one. So, the motion has passed (crowd cheers).
Chairman: Hold up… All right (to crowd)!
1:39:30, Chairman: All right. Our…
Heckle from back: “Burn books!” (crowd, a couple more) “Yeah, they burn books of differnt people!” “They’re all Nazis!”
Chairman: Enough! Enough! Enough! -To be honest with you, I can’t understand a word youre saying. It doesn’t matter. I mean, just please, let us try to finish, okay? Please, let us try to finish…
Audience member/hecklefrom back: Just shut us down!
1:40:00, Chairman King: WHat? ….Okay. Our other discussion is, “promotes, advocates for, or normalizes transgenderism or transgender confusion in minors.”
Chairman: Who would like to lead us on this discussion.
Cody, go right ahead…
Cody York Doubles Down On Policy:
***Cody York: Well, I asked for this to be put on the agenda, so I’ll go right ahead.
Cody: I making –so, I move that staff be directed to remove material that promotes, advocates, or nomralizes transgenderism, or gender confusion in minors.
Marzee: I second the motion.

Cody: My thought process for this is much of what I’ve already presented in the previous book, so we –I believe we can remove, legally. We have the right to remove books that are factuall incorrect.
Heckles: “It’s not factually inorrect!” and another.
1:41:06, Cody: I believe that those…We also have an oblicagation to protect children. So there’s the myth..
Audience member from back: “Start protecting the trans kids!”
Chairman: Okay, guys… Okay. Okay. Hush.
Audience member from back: “This board deserves no respect, now.”
Chairman King: What’re you -what’re you talking about?
Go ahead, Cody.
1:41:30, Cody: So, there is the myth that encouraging and affirming gender confusion protects children and decrease the amount of mental health risk, and this is incorrect.
In the sutdy entitled, “Examining gender specific mental health risks after gender affirming surgery,” a national database study published February 25th 2025. And this was conducted by the univeristy of Texas, I beleive (audience murmr).
The conclusion is that gender confirming surgery is associated with an increased risk of mental health issues.
Cody: We –so, we have an obligation to protect children. Our policy manual, PM402, section 402 of our manual, talks about our collection, and it says the following guidlines are considered in the evaluation of livbrary material in order to determine if and when removal is appropriate. And the second point on that list is misleading

or dangerous information. This is existing policy.
Now, Board of Education v. Pico, from 1982, is the standing Supreme Court case that is often cited, and it says that public libraries as limited public forums meaning that they cannot remove books solely based on disagreement with the content. And it applies more to schools more than public libraries, but we –That’s been used in public libraries for decades.
However, libraries can set content-neutral policies to restrict material that is obscene, illegal, or harmful to minors.
Gender confusion and transgender ideology are harmful to children,
Back audience member: No they’re not.
Cody: Children’s cognitive and emotional capacity evolve gradually with full understanding of complex topics such as gender idnetity and long term consequences of gender transition typically developed in early adulthood. Introducing complex gender ideology to young ages may lead to confusion, anxiety, or uncertainty, rather than clarity.
Some studies indicate that gender dysphoria experienced in childhood does not necessarily persist into adulthood. Research from the American Psychiatric Association highlights that a significan percentage of children will experience gender dysphoria and eventually ifentify with the bioligical sex as they mature.
Presenting gender transitioning as a normative solution for children might prematurely solifiy temporary feelins into lasting decisions. The reality is most people feel like they’re in –feel like they’re in –fell like they don’t belong in their body when they go through puberty. This is a very natural experience that most people have,

and we need to protect children from misleading and dangerous misinformtaion that would have them act on a temporary feeling, with long-lasing consequence.
In the study, Develpmemt of Gender Non-connectedness During Adolescence and Early Adulthood, it’s stated that 11% of the participants reported gender non-conectedness. So 11% of the children studied something basically considered non-connectedness with tiheir gender –their birth sex.
This continues to decrease with age with only 4% still feeling that way when they were 18.
This study… This study tells us that we’ve got to be careful reinforcing temporary ideas as a child matures.
In another study, a follow up study of boys with gender idnentity disorder, this study showed that even social transitioning would help ferment gendre confustion in children. And in children that didnt’ transtition, the vast majority of them outgrew their confusion.
Social transisioning appears to have had a massive effect, for x, on preventing boys with gender dysphoria from getting better. Simply put, social transitioning hurts children. It is a dangerous practice and should not be encouraged.
There is also the reality that often gender confusion is a social contagent. Emerging research indicates that rapid, onset, gender dysphoria can occur in clusters, particularly by adolescents influenced by peers and media exposure.
Books and media that actively encourages transitioning may unintentionally exascerbate social contagent increasing the number of youths pursuing medical interveiotn without conprehensive psychological evaluation.
In conclusion, books that promote transgender ideology are harmful to children.
There are lawsuits currently being filed all over the United States where children are suing their doctors for doing terrible, terrible harm to them.
State and federal –the state and federal government have determined that thewe are harmful practices.
There’s an exectutive order that was signed, January 28, 2025, that says (audience murmurs) that says, quote, “It is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called “transition’ of a child from

one sex from another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that inhibit these obstrucive, and life-altering procedures.

I’ve already mentioned the TCA, which mentions very clear the state of TN doesn’t support transitioning of children. In a matter of fact, this week, I think it’s being debated additional legislation to that fact.
1:50:19, Cory York: The fact that some children in our community struggle with gender confusion means that we should be equipping them to successfully deal with the dangers of, and root causes of that danger.
[audience member from back, “Books do that.”
Cory: Suicide is one of those dangers.
Cory: We should also look at the stories of de-transitioning people –the testimomeis of these people. We –In a library, we would never keep books –I hope- We would never keep books that promote or normalize cutting – Self-harm, anorexia, suicide. These are topics which we would protect children from, not expose them or encourage them.
And like I said, earlier, this is also illegal behavior.
So, by keeping these books in our collection, we are jeopardizing federal funding and possibly state funding.
Cory York: Quoting from a second executive order defending women from ideological extremeism
Audience member lady: “I don’t need….”
Chairman King: guys…
Cody: …And restoring biological truth to the federal government, signed January 20th, 2025, “Federal funds shall not be used to promote gender ideology. Each agency shall assess grant conditions, and grantee preferences and ensure grant funds do not promote gender ideology.”
We are jeopardizing the federal fuding of our funding bodies if we contine to have books that advocate gender ideology. So, I would recommend that this –so basically, this –what I believe what this motion would do is to direct staff to bring any book to us that may violate this directive. Now, what that means is we will cnosider these books one-by-one in order to fully review the books. I believe that that will meet the same legal standard. We’re basically following teh same legal process that the state of Tennessee -the legislature- has established for the school board.
The library staff has been instructed to bting books to us that “may” violate the policy. Then we as a board take the policy decision on us and we make the determination if it violates this motion. So, that’s my explanation of the motion (crowd applause).
1:53:44, Chairman King:

Any other discussion from… Take votes. All right. -Yes.
Chairman King: Rollie?k -allright, thank you, folks…
Board Member, Rollie Holden: Cody, this slashed item says to remove. It doesn’t say to take them off and bring them back up here. The way I read this action item, you want these books taken off of our shelves. It doesn’t say remove and bring back to the library on what this action item is. Now, let me finish on this thing.
Rollie: In looking at this, I’ve had some issues with this. And part of this is that the way it was origanally stated in our aganda to remove it, it goes against our policy has been, and our policy changed, now, about almost two years ago to conform with what the new state guidelines were on this, becuase prior to roughly the summer of 23, as a board, we did not get involved in this type of choice onto removing books. If there was a book up for reconsidaeration, it went hthroughh our staff and the director. THat changed with the state laws ( an applaud) and we have conformed to that. And so now, what we are looking at doing, and part of what i have a problem with, when we start taking to removing books, we’re stating that no on will have access to that book, wheither a six, sixteen year old, or a sixty year old. And I have some issues with us pulling those kind of books and saying that adults do not have access to certain typse of books. Even if I may not agree with it, you may not agree with it, other people may not agree with those ideas in there, they still have that right, and on what I have seen on this thing, and I have voted in the past when books have come up and we have had to go for reconsideration for books, and I have voted to remove books that i feel contatin content that was in violation of a specific state law, on this thing, I have not seen where there is a state law that says that this subject matter is in violation of –agianst- the law, and as other collegeues over there, like Benjamin, mentioned, that’s where I have an issue with this, if these books are not against the law –if they do not violate the law- would they then be considered constitutionally protected free speech? And if that, then, according to my understanding of the law, anything, whether –like I said, if I like it, don’t like it, disagree with, or don’t disagree with- if anybody else –if a peice of literature is considered legal, then are we violating the actual law if we try to remove that? And that’s where I have a concern with on that, that until someone can tell me what specific state laws that these books violate, I have issues with this, this wholesale, just, banning a whole group of books (crowd applause).

Chairman King: Okay. Anybody else want to comment on this? Any other comment from the board?
1:57:50, Cody York: -I think I was asked a question there, or for clarification, so, a couple things. One, the policy would be, ‘hey, books that promote, encourage, y’know, normalize transgenderism or gender confusion would be removed. The process that I described would be to determine which books meet that defeinition –that meet that criteria.
So, staff would be instructed to find any book that “might” and bring that to the board to make a final deciaisoion. Again, the logic there is to mimic what the School Board- what the legislation has established for the School Board’s process to do that. So, that’s the answer to the policy question, so secondly, talking about moving the books to a different seftion –maybe to an adult section- the reason why I would say why I’m not –I’m not for that- is that if we had a book, again, that the analogy that I make is self harm –if this is harmful to children- if the promotion of transgender and transgender ideology promotes harm to children, then it’s en par with self harming, annorexia, y’know, smoking… If we had any material that advoacted that that said, ‘hey, children, it’s good to self-harm… I don’t care where you put that in the library, it doesn’t belong.
And then, y’know the libarry board is expending money to keep books on the shelf, so by just keeping a book, we are making a decision to –to expend funds-taxpayer dollars- to keep that book there. The library doesn’t have every book printed. We make decision all the time about whether to acqurie a book or get rid of a book, to keep it on the shelf or to not keep it on the shelf. This would just be part of that process.
And then, the final comment, you made a comment about banning books. We cannot ban a book. We don’t have that authority (crowd heckles)
Cody: There are books available for purchase. This body has no authority to prevent anyone from selling or buying a book anywhere.
Mr. Holden: What I get back to is you say that, but then what we –we are a public library and has been said our- I think our, we’re here to serve all people in this county, and we are a diverse county, and we have books, and people have said for some to the other speakers that there books that they like and there are some that they don’t like. There are some the agree with, and they don’t agree with, but if we’re saying that as a library, system that we’re going to limit that to certain

that we will not allow certain types of books that maybe protectedfree speech, then I have issues with that, and that’s why I cannot support what you’re trying to do right now (crowd applause).
Chariman: All right, any other discussion from any other board member? -Yes? Marzy, please.
2:01:51, Marzee Woodard: When we went before the county commission, they presented a great deal of displeasure with the library because there were some books that they were not comfortable with, and they were not comfortable funding us. And we’d just asked them for a lot of money. I do not want us to go through that again.
I know that we have a process in place, but there are a lot of books that they may find a problem again, so I don’t know what our process is, what we’re going- what we would do. Inowl there are books that come before us all the time. I’m not sure what our plans are in that respect, and so, -what are your thoughts on this, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman, sighs: Would it be possible that the books that deal with the subject be moved –not moved to another area –yeah, moved to another area, however, it would be the parent –the adult- that gets them, rather than i t being on a shelf age 6-10 to pick them and say, ‘momma I want this one.’ It would be where an adult would come in and go, ‘I need a book to help me help my child with this…’ -whatever you want to call it, and not that we’re making recommendations, but the books are still in the libary, but they’re not out there, if thta makes any sense, that these books have to be asked for specifically, or the subject matter has to be asked for, specifically. That way they’re not out there for anyone to pick up, or thumb through, or look through, but we’re not taking them off the shelf and getting rid of them, totally. And that to me would be a compromise if you will.
Marzee: I did some research with some people about that particular idea.
Chairman: Okay.
Marzee: And I found out that was demeaning for people to ask for books in that respect, so I’m not sure if that’s an idea, or not. So, I know that I received a lot of emails. I’m sure some of you did. It seems to –our community has cried out to us and said they’re not comfortable with the section of books with the transgender books, so that is something that we need to listen to, too.
Chairman: Mmhm. Any other discussion? Anyone? Any other ideas? Thoughts?

ideas? Thoughts?
Board member/secretary, Kory Wells: So, I still feel like what Cody articulated we would do is not the way the motion is worded, and I also have a question about what gender confusion means…
2:05:30, Kory Wells: Because I think I had gender confusion from 1971 from second grade, and I was not allowed to listen to “Casey at the Bat” beacuse that was a story for boys. Y’know, I’m worried about the slippery slope of ‘what is gender confusion?’
If there’s a character in a book of a boy wearing a skirt, is that gender confusion? And we’re going to throw that out automatically? Or where are the definitions? Where are the particular guidelines that we would use? I think on the question of obscenity, we’ve got something pretty good in the TN code to follow, but as Riley was saying, I feel like we’ve got a lot of vagueness. And if Ben wanted to jump into the conversation, I would love it, too. Sorry Ben. Don’t want to put you on the spot, but I did.
2:06:48, Ben Grosse: My understanding, as written, the standard would not be workable. Would not pass constitutional muster, is my understanding in study my study of first amendment jurisprudence, therefore I would have to vote ‘no,’ again (someapplause).
Chairman: But if it were re-worded, would that… Agian, I’m not trying to put you on the spot, but it’s just this particulur wording. And I’ll give you an example. -Y’know, Riley, you mentioned adults getting this type of content, but as the words –the last two words, “in minors.” “In minors.” But if its a 32 year old who wants to check out a book in the adult section about this, that’s okay, or we’re not talking about those books, are we? Am I understanding that correct.
Cody York: The motion is -talks specifically about encouragin/promotion in children.
Chairman: Correct. Minors.
Cody York: So, a book that is –and also, it’s not just the subject matter, it’s the promotion of the subject matter- so if there was a book that handles, for example, let’s use smoking for eample- there’s a book that handles about teen smoking, and about a book that promotes teen smoking. It’s very different. So, that is what –that’s what I’m- that is what the motion is talking about. And again, I would argue that book shouldn’t be in the library in the adult section, or in the children section.
2:08:42, Chariman: And the process would be we go over the book at each board meeting?

[***]
Linebaugh manager/acting interim director, RCLS, Mindy Barrett: Can I speak to that?
Chair King: Yes, ma’am.
Mindy: …please?
Mindy: I would need a lot more clarification on, -specifically what books would be considered…
Chairman King: eligible?
Mindy: Right. Are we talking is there a character in that book? Is –from my perspective, as someone who is going to have to implement this, I need a lot more guidance on it, and I would also like to speak to some of the other points if I have permission to do that.
Chairman King: Yes, you may.
In regards to executive order 14168, the federal funds. I have spoke to the state already. I spoke to Kate. We do receive federal funds, and any stipulations that come towards federal funds, as far as what we can and cannot purchase, that will all trickle down to us by the state when those federal funds are dispersed. So, I don’t think –I can wait on that, as far as those purchases go- to hear from the state for that direction. Also, the county meeting that was march 4th of 2024, I did speak at that meeting, and I offered the action plan that we submitted. And […] I hadn’t heard any feedback since then. I’d hope that if there were any concern, or ‘hey, this wasn’t enough,’ that over the last year, that someone would have reached out to me or the chair, so… [if] funding were in question, I would hope that’d be something we could talk about.
Um, it’s not really from – I don’t think that it’s- It’s not my responsiblility to convince you that transgender or any type of tarnsition is harmful, but it is my job to try and encourage you to protect accesst information and follwo the policies that the board has supplied and approved from previous meetings.
The way that that motion is presented, it does go against policies pm103, 104, 105, 107, 200, 201, 202, 400, 401, 403, and 405, as far as how we reconsider materials. Also, from a personal standpoint, I am asking the board to please not proceed with this, right now. I believe that a lawsuit is inevitable, and this needs to be discussed with a permanent director with the proper experience, leadership and background, has been identified. I do respect that it is your responsibility to write policy for this library system. I respect that. But discussing a sweeping change of this magnitude without the proper leadership could be viewed as opportunistic.
Finally, as a public library, we do not act in loco parentis. That is not

our responsibility. The responsibility for children’s reading and behavior lies with their parent, and guardian. Children cannot obtain a library card without their parent’s permission. Parents can choose the level access that they have. Even if they have a library card, that was all part of the action plan that was submitted […], last year. They’re not allowed in the library by themself until their 12, and even if a child over 12 comes to the library and checks out an item, that is still up to the parents’ discretion whether that item is chosen. It’s not –I’m just asking that this, please, wait until we have better leadership.

.
Kory Wells: Based on that, I am making a move that we postpone indefinitly, which is not to say that we would not bring it back up, but I believe that to be the most appropriate thing we could do. Given the number of question that we have, given that we have several board members that are, at least, uncomfortable with the language, or the lack of specificity in, maybe, the plan, and give that I so wish that we could be focused more on the work that Marzee and the committee are doing in terms of picking a director –selecting a new director.
2:14:22, Chairman King: When you say postpone indefinitely, […] cause when I hear indefinitely, I think, for good…
Kory Wells: Well, it does mean it might not come back. I realized it will, but that gets it, from the Roberts Rule of Order, that gets it to where it doesn’t have to come back in three months, or whatever.
2:14:45Cody York: -There’s a… There’s a motion on the floor. I don’t think a second motion can be made.
Chairman King: Yeah. Oh, right. But That’s what you were talking about. All right. [AAARGH]
King: Well, we have the motion, and a second, on the floor. So, [librarians] remove –correct me if I’m wrong, Cody -remove material that promotes, encourages, advocates for, or normalizes transgender-ism, or transgender confusion in minors
[quiet second, talking to York]
Chairman King: And that motion’s been made, and Seconded .
-Any futher discussion at all on this? If not, we’ll go ahead and take it to a voice vote.
Cody York: Roll Call?
Chairman King:: Wanted to make sure y’all were paying attention!

Chairman: All right. I’ve got my list. I’m going to start from the bottom and go up, as to last time I started from the top and went down. All right.
Cody. “Yes.”
Marzee: “Yes.”
Kory: “No.”
Susan: “Yes.”
Dina: “Yes.”
Sam: “Yes.”
Rollie: “No.”
Benjamin: No
Lisa:” Absent,” said King.
Chariman King: Okay. 5-3-1. FIve to remove, three, no, One, absent. So, the motion has passed
2:16:45, Chairiman King, over cheers and whistles : Hold up. Hold up. Before y’all leave, we still have stuff to talk about!
…I’m just kidding [audience chuckles back].
Chairman King: In all seriousness… [crowd member in the back, murmur/inaudible grunt]
Chairman King: In all seriousness, I appreciate y’all coming.
Heckle, back: That’s all they care about.
Chairman: Y’know, join us again! Okay? But I want you to know (to board members), Board, how much money do y’all make […] being a library board member? Zero.
Chairman: These people have volunteered free of charge to serve [crowd heckle, from back].
2:17:20, back crowd: (girl) You’re all dicks!
(guy) Nazis!
Chairman: Not only do they serve for free, these people serve for minimum, a three-year term. And some cases longer than that. So, its not easy, you can tell. But, that wraps us up. Before we go, our next meeting is –everybody grab your phone. Our next meeting is when??
Heckle Lady from back: It’s a library, not a public school! You guys are hacks!
From the back, a couple of folks yell details, to answer King…
Chairman King: Ummmm, Monday, April 21st, 5pm at Smyrna, unless that changes. Everybody have that? Monday, [heckles, ‘why won’t you…’] APril 21st, at 5 o’clock!
“Alright, everybody. That wraps up this edition of the show. Thank y’all very much, and we are adjourned,” said King.

Again, in hindsight, A seemingly piece of legislative decorum to the effect of 1)heated arguments to, and for, recommending the removal of a book/title based on “the promotion, encouragement, and ——- of transgenderism, and transgender ideology,” 2) that ultimatley recommended banning the book, as well as created a Library System policy, in print, requiring Rutherford County librarians to seemingly seek like-minded books/titles out on library shelves, to pull them off the shelves for review, pitched by Cody York, that was passed even interim Director of the Rutherford County Library System, Mindy Barrett [whom I mistook for an authorized County lawyer in the recordings, based on the points she was making] after a mix-up York’s ideology already had a motion on the table, thus killing Barrett’s reasoning, and Parliamentary Procedure ruling the day, once again.

FIRST AMENDMENT JURISPRUDENCE