SALT LAKE CITY—Bibles will be returning to the shelves in a school district in northern Utah after they were initially banned from middle and elementary schools, causing a public outcry. The Davis School District, responsible for educating 72,000 students near Salt Lake City, announced during a board meeting that they had concluded the Holy Bible to be suitable for all district libraries.
This decision was made in response to appeals filed by 70 individuals who disagreed with the ban. The appeal committee, after assessing community standards, determined that the Bible holds significant value for minors, which outweighs any content, pointed out as sensitive as reason for the ban. This reversal by the committee is the latest development in the ongoing debate surrounding a Utah law that permits parents to challenge materials deemed "sensitive" available to students in public schools. Parental rights activists successfully advocated for this legislation in 2022, amidst a series of new laws targeting the accessibility of materials related to topics such as race, gender, and sexuality in schools and libraries.
Across several states, including Florida and Arkansas, Republican lawmakers have passed legislation granting parents greater authority to challenge the availability of certain materials in schools and libraries. In some instances, these laws even impose criminal penalties on librarians who provide materials considered harmful to minors. This legislative effort is part of a larger movement to ban specific books, with the number of attempts to restrict or ban books in the United States reaching a 20-year high in 2022, according to the American Library Association.
The attempt to ban the Holy Bible in Utah has reignited a discussion about the criteria used to assess the content of books. The initial challenge was filed by an anonymous individual who criticized conservative parents' activists for their efforts to remove books from libraries and their influence on the adoption of state standards.
The decision to remove the Holy Bible from schools in the Davis School District in Utah caused controversy and opposition from advocates who support local control and parents' ability to challenge books. Republican lawmaker Ken Ivory initially opposed the removal but later advocated for its return while criticizing the removal process. Ivory suggested that lawmakers should revise the law to ensure book-removal decisions are made by elected officials in public meetings. During a board meeting, Davis School District board members defended the committee's decision, stating that it was in line with the law. They emphasized the value of the contents of the Holy Bible, which they believe outweighs any content 'deemed sensitive'.