CLAIRE TAYLOR , The Acadiana Advocate; Judge rules Michael Lunsford, Citizens for New La. owe librarian $50,000 in attorney fees
[Kip Currier: It's dizzying to remind ourselves via articles like this 7/2/26 one in The Acadiana Advocate of the legal twists and turns that librarian Amanda Jones has traversed to arrive at this $50,000 settlement agreement for attorney fees in her lawsuit for alleged defamation against Citizens for a New Louisiana.
Ms. Jones previously secured a recorded apology and $1 payment from blogger Ryan Thames in November 2025.
I was fortunate to speak with the greatly-in-demand inspiring intellectual freedom advocate Amanda Jones in April 2025 for a recorded interview that graduate students continue to be able to learn from in my MLIS degree's "required core course" The Information Professional in Communities at the University of Pittsburgh. Her profile is also included in the Intellectual Freedom chapter of my 2025 Bloomsbury book Ethics, Information, and Technology.
Ms. Jones shared on LinkedIn recently that she was "incredibly humbled and grateful" to learn that her 2024 Bloomsbury book That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America "has been included in The Obama Foundation Public Library collection of non circulating books, specially chosen by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama."
Kudos to Amanda Jones -- and other dedicated librarians and information professionals throughout the world -- for courageously standing up for intellectual freedom and access to diverse viewpoints and voices through books.]
"A Livingston Parish judge has ruled that Michael Lunsford and the Lafayette-based Citizens for a New Louisiana owe $50,000 to a librarian in a defamation case that has not yet been tried on its merits.
Twenty-first Judicial District Court Judge Erika Sledge of Livingston Parish on June 15 awarded Amanda Jones, a Livingston Parish school librarian, $50,979 to be paid by Citzens for a New Louisiana and Executive Director Michael Lunsford.
In 2022, Jones spoke at a Livingston Parish Library board meeting against censorship and the proposal removal of books. Lunsford, who runs the social media for the conservative Citizens for a New Louisiana and blogger Ryan Thames blasted Jones on social media, equating her opposition to banning publications like “This Book Is Gay” to supporting the grooming of children and pornography...
Jones has since settled with Thames who issued a public apology."
