The head of a Texas school district has stated that the Bible had to be removed from school libraries due to a new state law prohibiting “sexually explicit material.”
Canyon Independent School District Superintendent Darryl Flusche announced in a leaked email earlier this week that under House Bill 900, the Holy Bible is deemed unsuitable in the district's libraries. This bill, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2023, was established to protect schools from sexually explicit content.
In his email to parents, Flusche explained that the full text of the Bible had been removed because it fell under this mandate, although portions of the Bible remain available in the district's libraries. Flusche cited the law's definition of “sexually explicit material” as “any communication, language, or material” that describes sexual conduct in a way that is “patently offensive” according to the Texas Penal Code.
He indicated that the Canyon Jr. High library has 30 titles of “Bible stories or portions of the Bible” and noted the school's “strong connections with local churches willing to donate Bibles upon request.”
The email has sparked outrage among local parents. During a school board meeting on December 9, Canyon ISD parent Regina Kiehne told school officials, “It seems absurd to me that the Good Book was thrown out with the bad books.”
According to the Christian Post, the mother of two Canyon ISD students, Kiehne stated, “In a day when we need 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.”
“It just makes sense to have the Word of God in our school library. After all, it (the Bible) 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 added.
Kiehne also highlighted the Bible's reputation in history, asserting, “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.”
This incident reflects extensive discussions in Texas about the inclusion of religious texts in public education. In the past year, certain state lawmakers, including Republican Rep. Bill Zedler, have advocated for displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms across the state, arguing that they provide a moral foundation that aligns with American values.
However, these efforts have encountered pushback from critics who contend that such displays violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
