Librarian sues for defamation after conservative activist assaults over LGBTQ books

A Louisiana librarian is suing two males for defamation over posts and memes they shared to Fb.

In her lawsuit, Amanda Jones of the Louisiana Affiliation of College Librarians alleges two homeowners of separate Fb teams, Michael Lunsford and Ryan Thames created a "public marketing campaign to defame" her by posting her picture and tagging her. These posts got here after Jones attended a Livingston Parish Library Board of Management assembly Jul 19 to argue in opposition to censoring e-book content material.

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"Whereas e-book challenges are sometimes carried out with the perfect intentions, and within the identify of age appropriateness, they typically goal marginalized communities akin to BIPOC and the. LBGTQ neighborhood," Jones stated on the assembly. "All members of our neighborhood need to be seen, have entry to info, and see themselves, in our PUBLIC library assortment. Censoring and relocating books and shows is dangerous to our neighborhood, however can be extraordinarily dangerous to our most weak —our kids."

"Why is she combating so laborious to maintain sexually erotic and pornographic supplies within the child's part?" Lunsford wrote on his Fb web page "Residents for a New Louisiana" the following day. "The content material in query is so very horrible that The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) will not even print it!"

Lunsford's put up garnered 165 reactions, 450 feedback, and 146 shares.

Thames would go on to create plenty of memes that includes Jones on his “Bayou State of Thoughts" web page, essentially the most notable of which included an image of Jones sitting behind a desk with a caption that learn she advocated instructing anal intercourse to 11-year-olds. That put up has since been faraway from the platform, however Jones alleges Thames continued to put up about her.

Jones is in search of a "Everlasting Injunction, enjoining Defendants from harassing and defaming Plaintiff, Compensatory damages, together with damages for emotional misery, Punitive Damages and Lawyer’s charges and court docket prices" in her swimsuit.