NEW ORLEANS - The Louisiana Supreme Court says a Livingston Parish librarian, who says an organization wrongly accused her of promoting pornography to children, should be allowed to have her case heard in court.

Amanda Jones, a Livingston Parish librarian, says she has been the subject of major defamation over the last few years after speaking up in a public meeting about library censorship in 2022.

She later sued the defendant, Michael Lunsford, executive director of the Citizens for a New Louisiana, and others, saying they had defamed her by saying she was promoting pornography among children. 

Jones' lawyer, Alysson Mills, said Saturday the lawsuit was never about books. 

"The defendants have said that she wants to teach kids how to have anal sex, actually they say she does teach kids how to have anal sex. That is false, it is incredibly damaging for someone who has devoted her entire career to the education of our children," Mills said.

Lunsford told WBRZ that the group simply repeated what she said at a public meeting.

"Her own statements in there, and the judge read her statement, and they pretty much said what she said, so I don't see how this is defamation, that's what happened," Lunsford said. "They're yelling censorship, and we're saying children don't need to have access to illustrated guides on how to use adult novelty toys, and that's where the disagreement is." 

In a 4-2 decision Friday, the Supreme Court directed the lower court to take up the case again. The First Circuit had said Jones' appeal was filed too late.

Jones' lawsuit never reached a stage at which evidence was given. Mills said she looked forward to presenting the case to jurors.

“I would like to say this a hundred times, our lawsuit does not ask any court or jury to pick a side in the book debate," Mills said.

In a statement given to WBRZ, Amanda Jones said, "All I'm asking for is $1 and an apology. I believe in free speech, but free speech doesn't mean you get to make up lies about someone. I am looking forward to holding these men accountable for their malicious actions."