Utah school district reinstates Bible for elementary and junior high school libraries

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The  Davis School District in Utah has voted unanimously to keep the Bible in all its school libraries, reversing an initial committee’s decision to remove it from elementary and junior high libraries on the grounds that it contains  “vulgarity and violence” that is not appropriate for children, KSL News reports. 

The decision by the Davis School District board to reverse the Bible ban on Tuesday followed extensive criticism and requests for an appeal, KSL reports.

The school district’s review committee made the original decision earlier this month after a parent filed a complaint asserting that parts of the Bible had explicit passages dealing with sex and violence. The committee decided to keep the Bible in high schools but remove it from libraries in lower schools.

“If the committee determines that the work contains sensitive materials, it’s removed in all schools,” Logan Toone, the district’s assistant superintendent, told lawmakers during a meeting last week. “If the committee determines that the work does not include sensitive materials, then they determine age-appropriateness.”

In a statement about the reversal, the Davis School District said: “As with any new policy, the district’s library review process will likely require some revisions, but the Davis School District stands by the process currently in place. The committee-based process is thoughtful, methodical, respectful of varying perspectives, and compliant with Utah law. It allows for appeals to be considered when a committee’s decision seems to be at odds with community values. The process takes time and it isn’t perfect, but it is working.”

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