A school district in Texas reversed its decision to remove Bibles from school libraries. The decision was made as part of an effort to comply with a new Texas law banning “sexually explicit” material in schools.
In a statement sent to television station KAMR Local 4 News, Canyon Independent School District (CISD) said that following the passage of House Bill 900, it is conducting a “comprehensive review of library materials to ensure compliance with the latest state guidelines.” We have implemented it.”
The school district did not respond to NTD’s request for comment.
The district also said that despite being removed from libraries, “the Bible will always be available in schools to support educational resources and meet all TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) requirements. are also available.”
The controversy began earlier this month when CISD announced its decision to remove Bibles from library shelves. The move received immediate backlash, especially from state Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Texas), who introduced House Bill 900.
In a strongly worded letter to CISD Superintendent Darryl Frousche, Patterson said the school’s interpretation of the new law was not his intention because the new law specifically protects religious texts, including the Bible. He said it was far from that.
“To be clear, the Bible and other religious texts are protected under HB 900. Any claims to the contrary are rooted in ignorance of state law or outright hostility to the will of the people. Either you are there or you are,” he said in the letter. It was shared in an Instagram post.
“The Bible is the most important and most read book in history, and removing it would be a grave injustice to the students you serve.”
State representatives speculated in the letter that the district’s decision may have been politically motivated.
“Maybe you don’t agree with our fight against extreme explicit content in public schools like Canyon ISD,” he wrote.
Patterson also expressed concern about the legality of the district’s actions, saying not only was the district’s interpretation completely wrong, but the district’s decision to ban the Bible was also likely illegal. He cited Texas Education Code Chapter 28, Section 28.002, which includes the Bible as a “school curriculum” because of its historical and cultural significance.
After receiving clarification from Mr. Patterson about the intent and scope of House Bill 900, the district reconsidered its position.
In a statement to KAMR Local 4 News, CISD said, “After receiving clarification from Rep. Patterson regarding library content, we re-evaluated our guidelines and are pleased to make Bibles available in each of Canyon ISD’s libraries.” Ta.
