Parents demand Utah school board return Bible to libraries

Last week, a school district north of Salt Lake City removed the Bible from middle and elementary school libraries after a parent complained that it was inappropriate for children. The complaint claimed that parts of the Bible fall under the state’s definition of pornography. School board members said the definition does not apply to Scripture, but they voted to allow Bibles only in high school libraries. Their review stated that some parts of Scripture are too “violent or vulgar” for young children. Republican lawmakers on Wednesday joined more than 100 parents and children at the state capitol building to protest the decision. The district also received a complaint to remove the Book of Mormon. School officials did not disclose if the same person made the complaints.

Why was the complaint filed? The request appears to have been aimed at undermining a state law that allows residents to challenge “sensitive material” in schools. Legislators passed the bill last year, and parents have used the statute to remove books about sexual orientation and gender ideology from school shelves.

Dig deeper: Read Lindsay Wolfgang Mast’s report in Liberties about a Maryland school district that refused to let families opt out of reading LGBT books.