ABC4 Utah

King James Bible to be removed from Davis School District library shelves in younger grades

Scott Lewis

FARMINGTON, Utah (ABC4) — Copies of the King James Bible are being removed from school library shelves at elementary and junior high facilities in Davis County, Utah, after an unknown person’s complaint that the scriptures feature material inappropriate for younger children.

Davis County School District Communications Director Christopher Williams said in a release that while the committee reviewing the book removal request did not find that the book contained “sensitive material as defined in Utah Code 76-10-1227, 76-10-1201 or 76-10-1203,” some vulgarity and violence was deemed to be age-inappropriate for younger readers.

The Bible will remain on library shelves at the high school level. Williams said the Bible is not taught as part of the district’s curriculum and is being removed from “…7-8 elementary/junior high schools…”

Williams also stated that an appeal has already been filed by an individual who wants the Bible retained at all age levels. That appeal will be heard by a three-member committee from the Davis School District Board of Education, which will then forward the issue to the full board for a final decision.

At the moment, school is not in session in Davis County and will not resume until Aug. 17.

The complaint against the Bible was filed by an unknown person in March after a statewide law passed in 2022 allowed residents to challenge the books being found in school libraries. As of March, the new law had been used 81 times with Davis County having removed 33 books for inappropriate material for younger readers, including sex, vulgarity, and violence.

A request for book removal can be made on the district’s website. However, the requester needs to include their reasoning for the book’s removal. For example, the request for the Bible’s review included 49 pages of biblical verses that could be deemed inappropriate under the law, including instances of murder, sex, and incest. 

There are currently over a dozen committees reviewing various book removal requests. The district’s eight-page policy on book removal can be read online.

A list of books that have been or are currently under review by committees can be found online, as well. Click on the “Sensitive Materials” tab to see the full list. Some removed books include: