In the beginning, a parent filed a challenge to have the Bible removed from Davis School District libraries, citing passages describing sex and violence. The district said let there be a review of the book.
And it was so. Now, the committee appointed by the district to review the complaint and decide if the Bible is appropriate for students to access has made its determination: High schools in Davis will keep the religious text on the shelf.
But it will be removed from elementary and middle schools for containing “vulgarity or violence.” According to The Salt Lake Tribune, That decision on the book challenge — which gained national attention when it was first reported on in March — will take effect immediately, said Davis School District spokesperson Christopher Williams in an email to The Salt Lake Tribune this week.
He believes there are seven or eight elementaries and middle schools in the district that have copies of the Bible that will now be removed as the school year wraps up.
The scripture was first challenged in December by a parent who wrote in their complaint that they were frustrated by the books being removed from school libraries in recent months — with conservative groups across the country and in Utah taking aim at literature they call “inappropriate,” and which has particularly focused on books written about the LGBTQ community.
So the parent submitted their request for a review of the Bible, saying it was time to remove “one of the most sex-ridden books around.”
Back in March, FOX 13 News’s content-sharing partners at the Salt Lake Tribune obtained a parent’s petition, who wrote, “Utah Parents United left off one of the most sex-ridden books around: The Bible. You’ll no doubt find that the Bible has ‘no serious values for minors’ because it’s pornographic by our new definition.”
According to a district spokesperson, the committee actually determined the book “does not contain sensitive material as defined by Utah Code,” but still pulled it from certain schools because of age appropriateness.
After the review, the Bible was pulled from an estimated 7-8 elementary and junior high schools that had the book on library shelves. The committee’s decision has already been appealed by someone who wants to see the Bible returned to all schools. An appeals committee will now rule on whether the book will be returned to all libraries.
A 2022 law passed by the Utah State Legislator banned sensitive material in schools. Since it’s passage, dozens of books have been banned across several state school districts.
“When many groups characterize this as banning books, that really is an attempt to simply, you know, hyperbolize what’s going on, we’re simply, clarifying age-appropriate limits,” said Rep. Ivory. Since its passage, dozens of books have been banned across several state school districts.
