NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A proposal to pull all transgender-related books from Sumner County libraries has failed after months of heated debate. The Library Board voted 4-3 against the policy change during a meeting Monday night, citing concerns about potential lawsuits and a lack of legal guidance.
Library Board Chair Joanna Daniels introduced the measure, which aimed to amend the county’s Collection Development and Management Policy to remove all transgender materials from library shelves.
“There is a community outpouring in support of this policy,” Daniels said during the meeting.
Board member Larry Hinton, who served as chair of the library board for more than 10 years, pressed Daniels on whether she had consulted the county attorney about the proposal. Daniels responded that she had shared the policy with the attorney but said he did not offer an opinion, adding that she didn’t believe his input was necessary.
“The argument that I should have got the yes or no from a law director is ridiculous, because we have the authority,” Daniels said.
Hinton disagreed, saying the county attorney’s role is to protect the county from legal risks.
“We have a county attorney who is educated in the law and getting paid by the taxpayer to deal with the laws for the county,” Hinton said. “It would be completely logical to say, ‘Here’s what’s being discussed.’”
Several board members echoed those concerns, saying they were uncomfortable voting on the measure without formal legal input.
“Well, once you put something out there in black and white that’s a product of Sumner County — then Sumner County is responsible for that,” Hinton said.
The measure ultimately failed in the 4-3 vote. Daniels maintained that the library board has full authority over the county’s libraries, including what materials are included or removed.