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Utah schools ban Bible.

Roy FrancisJune 2, 2023

Controversy over Removal of King James Bible from Utah Schools

(Photo by Spencer Platt/Staff via Getty Images)

Parents in Davis County, Utah have complained about the presence of the King James Bible in elementary and junior high school libraries, leading to its removal. The decision was made by a review committee for the Davis School District, which claimed that the Bible contained “vulgarity and violence” and was not age-appropriate for younger students. However, the Bible will still be available in high schools.

Utah Law Bans Sensitive Material from Schools

The removal of the Bible is in line with a law passed by Utah State Legislators in 2022, which bans sensitive material from schools. The law states that if a parent presents a formal request to the district, schools must remove books that contain “human genitals in a state of sexual stimulation or arousal, acts of human masturbation or sexual intercourse, and fondling or other erotic touching of human genitals or public regions.”

Since the law passed, dozens of books have been removed from schools around the state. However, the decision to remove the Bible has been controversial, with some arguing that it is a backhanded slap to parents who are trying to keep a healthy learning environment for all students in the schools.

Appeal and Review Process

The decision to remove the Bible from school shelves has already been appealed by a different parent. The district will now form a committee consisting of three members of Davis School District’s Board of Education to review the original complaint and the recent appeal. Once a review is finished, the committee will make a recommendation to the full board on how to move forward. The board will make its final decision in a public meeting that has not yet been scheduled.

It is worth noting that the Davis School District currently has other religious texts available to check out, including the Book of Mormon, the Torah, and the Quran.