LIVINGSTON - A Livingston librarian whose defamation case was initially dismissed by courts had that decision reversed and has enough of a case to continue a suit, the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled.

The First Circuit Court of Appeal previously ended Amanda Jones' lawsuit against the Citizens for a New Louisiana and its leaders last January, after a lower court had ruled against her in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, the Louisiana Supreme Court allowed the defamation lawsuit to proceed, but the First Circuit said it was too late for her to re-file.

Jones had spoken out against banning books at a 2022 library board meeting.

She later sued Lunsford and others, saying they had defamed her with claims she was promoting pornography among children. Lunsford told the New York Times this year that the group simply repeated what she said at a public meeting and "that's not defamation."

The First Circuit, this time, ruled that while Thames and Lunsford's posts were covered by anti-SLAPP laws, Jones' case still showed a probability of success and some of their posts could be understood as defamatory.

"The record shows that Ms. Jones demonstrated a probability of success that public posts made by the defendants directed toward Ms. Jones were defamatory, were knowingly false or made with reckless disregard of the truth, and caused Ms. Jones injury, including harm to her reputation, contempt, ridicule, anxiety and emotional distress. Accordingly, we find that the trial court erred in granting the special motions to strike," the ruling said.