US school bans Bible due to ‘pornographic’ content, marks it unsuitable for students
The King James Bible does not possess suitable values for minors, according to the parent who filed the complaint.
PremiumA school district in the US state of Utah has decided to remove the Bible from elementary and middle schools due to concerns about its content, which includes what they perceive as "vulgarity and violence".
This action was taken following a complaint from a parent who felt that the King James Bible contained material unsuitable for children. The move aligns with a law passed by Utah's Republican government in 2022, which prohibits the presence of "pornographic or indecent" books in schools.
Similar book bans, targeting subjects such as sexual orientation and identity, have been implemented in several states across the country, according to the BBC.
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The decision to remove the Bible was made by the Davis School District, located north of Salt Lake City, after a complaint was filed in December 2022. The district officials have confirmed that the few copies of the Bible in their possession have already been taken off the shelves. They clarified that the Bible was never included in the students' curriculum.
The rationale behind the district's decision, specifically the identification of passages containing "vulgarity or violence," was not further expounded upon by the committee responsible. The parent who lodged the complaint argued that the King James Bible lacks appropriate values for minors, claiming it to be "pornographic" according to the parameters set by the 2022 book-ban law.
While a Utah state lawmaker initially dismissed the request to remove the Bible as a "mockery", they later acknowledged the challenges posed by the text for younger children. The lawmaker emphasised that the Bible is best taught and understood within the familial setting, rather than within schools.
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It is noteworthy that the district's ruling concluded that the Bible's content does not violate the 2022 law but does contain elements of "vulgarity or violence" deemed unsuitable for younger students. Consequently, the Bible will continue to be available in local high schools, while its presence in elementary and middle schools has been discontinued.
This recent development in Utah is not unprecedented, as other school districts in the United States have previously opted to remove the Bible from library shelves due to various concerns and objections. Notably, a Texas school district took similar action in 2022 in response to public opposition to conservative attempts to ban certain books. Additionally, students in Kansas recently requested the removal of the Bible from their school library.
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