Librarian sues for defamation after conservative activist assaults over LGBTQ books

A librarian in Louisiana filed a lawsuit in opposition to two males and a conservative group, alleging they defamed her after they attacked her for supporting the instructing of books involving the LGBTQ group. 

Amanda Jones, a center college librarian and the president of the Louisiana Affiliation of Faculty Librarians, alleged within the lawsuit {that a} “public marketing campaign” in opposition to her began after she spoke out in opposition to eradicating sure books from the Livingston Parish Library system at a board assembly. 

The lawsuit states that Residents for a New Louisiana posted on its Fb on July 20, the day after the assembly, criticizing “anti-censorship of us” who opposed transferring “sexually express and erotic supplies focusing on eight to ten-year-olds” to the grownup part of libraries.  

A second publish from July 22 particularly refers to Jones, asking why she is “combating so arduous to maintain sexually erotic and pornographic supplies” within the kids’s part. The lawsuit notes {that a} picture of Jones within the publish is surrounded by a pink circle with a white border, arguing it seems just like a goal. 

Michael Lunsford, who leads the group, commented on the publish that Jones is on the “public payroll” and is “’advocating’ for having erotica within the youngsters part.” 

The account allegedly made a number of different posts all through July and August referring to Jones and tagging her within the posts. 

The lawsuit argues that the posts have broken Jones’ fame and incited expressions of violence in opposition to her. 

The lawsuit additionally alleges that Ryan Thames, who runs a Fb web page referred to as “Bayou State of Thoughts,” posted a meme of Jones on or round July 21, exhibiting her smiling and sitting behind a desk and saying that she advocated instructing anal intercourse to 11-year-olds. 

The publish was finally taken down, which Jones believes was a results of Fb intervening, however the publish circulated on social media, in response to the lawsuit. 

The lawsuit states that the publish induced Jones to undergo anxiousness and emotional misery, and Thames continued to publicly mock Jones. 

Residents for a New Louisiana, Lunsford and Thames didn’t instantly return requests from The Hill for remark.