Texas school district was forced to remove copies of the bible after new state law banned ‘sexually explicit’ material

A Texas school district was forced to remove copies of the Bible from its libraries after a new state law banned books that contain ‘sexually explicit’ material.

Canyon Independent School District restricted the religious text, citing compliance with the state’s Republican-backed House Bill 900.

HB 900, known as the READER Act, establishes standards aimed to regulate content sold to or included in public school libraries. The legislation bans books that have at least one instance of ‘sexually explicit’ content and requires students to receive parental consent to borrow books that have been deemed ‘sexually relevant.’ 

A leaked email sent to parents from Canyon ISD Superintendent Dr. Darryl Flusche revealed the ‘full text of the Bible’ would no longer be available in school libraries because of sexual references in the text.

Flusche noted that ’30 titles’ that contained ‘Bible stories’ or ‘portions of the Bible’ would remain available in the library. He added that the district has ‘strong connections with local churches that are happy to donate a Bible upon request’ to any students interested in obtaining a copy of the text. 

The ban sparked outrage amongst parents who at a school board meeting blasted the decision as ‘absurd’ and argued that the ‘Bible holds great value’ and ‘should be valued in our Texas school system’.

Canyon ISD has now restored the book in its libraries after ‘receiving clarification’ from State Rep. Jared Patterson, who authored the READER Act, and having ‘revaluated the guidelines’ of the legislation.

Canyon ISD made national headlines the week before Christmas after Flusche’s email to parents was leaked online. 

The public was outraged by the memo, which attributed the Bible ban to HB 900.

‘House Bill 900, which passed during the last legislative session, establishes library standards that restrict content in school libraries,’ Flusche wrote. 

‘From HB 900: Section 33.021. LIBRARY STANDARDS. (a) In this section, “sexually explicit material” means any communication, language, or material, including a written description, illustration, photographic image, video image, or audio file, other than library material directly related to the curriculum required under Section 28.002(a), that describes, depicts, or portrays sexual conduct, as defined by Section 43.25, Penal Code.’

He added: ‘This standard for library content prohibits books that have one instance of sexual content as described above.’ 

Flusche went on the state that the READER Act ‘doesn’t allow numerous books, including the full text of the Bible, to be available in the school library’ but alleged that there were ’30 titles available in the Canyon Junior High library that are Bible stories or portions of the Bible’.

He further instructed parents whose children ‘would like to have a Bible’ to reach out, alleging the district could use its ‘strong connections’ with partner churches in the area to get a copy of the text for them.

It is unclear when Flusche’s email was penned, but it appears the Bible ban was instated weeks before Canyon ISD came under nationwide scrutiny.

Furious parents reportedly slammed the decision at a school board meeting on December 9, with one telling district leaders it ‘seems absurd to me that the Good Book was thrown out with the bad books’. 

‘In a day when we are needing security guards and bulletproof windows and doors, I think having the Word of God available to our children cannot only be preventative to violence, but also provide comfort and a sense of security in a chaotic world,’ Regina Kiehne, who said she has two children in the district, argued during the meeting.

‘It just makes sense to have the Word of God in our school library. After all, it is the book of wisdom. It is the bestselling book of all time; it is historically accurate, scientifically sound, and most importantly, life-changing.’

She further noted how the Bible is the most stolen book in history, arguing that the ‘only reason something is stolen is because it is valuable’.

‘The Bible holds great value. It should be valued in our Texas school system,’ Kiehne added.

State Senator Kevin Sparks also blasted the district’s decision to remove the book, arguing on Facebook that the ‘Bible is not educationally unsuitable, sexually explicit, or pervasively vulgar, making its removal legally and morally indefensible’.

‘At a time when students seek guidance, the Bible provides a vital moral framework,’ he continued. ‘I call on the Canyon ISD School Board and Superintendent to reverse this decision promptly for the benefit of our students and community.’

Similarly, the Amarillo Area Young Republicans criticized the move and promised to search for and back candidates to run against current Canyon ISD board members, The Amarillo-Globe News reported.

Canyon ISD has now restored the Bible to its shelves after a receiving clarification from Rep. Patterson about the interpretation of the state’s new library content regulations, the district confirmed to the newspaper.

The district ‘conducted a thorough review of its library contents’ in an effort to ‘adhere’ to the guidelines outlined in HB 900, which officials noted aims to ‘maintain an inclusive and legally compliant educational environment’.

‘The initial removal of the Bible was undertaken to align with House Bill 900, which mandates stricter oversight of educational materials to ensure they meet Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards,’ the district said in a statement.

‘Following the passage of House Bill 900, Canyon ISD conducted a comprehensive review of library materials to ensure compliance with updated state guidelines. After receiving clarification from Representative Patterson regarding library content, we reevaluated the guidelines and are pleased to have the Bible available in each of our Canyon ISD libraries.’