A Texas school district has reversed its decision to remove the Bible from school libraries, a decision it made as part of its efforts to comply with a new Texas law banning “sexually explicit” material in schools.
In a statement sent to TV station KAMR Local 4 News, the Canyon Independent School District (CISD) said that following the passage of House Bill 900, it “conducted a comprehensive review of library materials to ensure compliance with updated state guidelines.”
The school district did not return NTD’s request for comment.
The district also said that despite its removal from libraries, “the Bible has always been, and continues to be, available in our schools to support instructional resources and meet all TEKS [Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills] requirements.”
The controversy began when CISD announced its decision to remove the Bible from library shelves earlier this month. This move was met with immediate backlash, particularly from state Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Texas), who sponsored House Bill 900.
In a strongly worded letter to CISD Superintendent Darryl Flusche, Patterson said the school’s interpretation of the new law was far from what he intended since the legislation specifically protects religious texts, including the Bible.
“Let me be very clear: the Bible and other religious texts are protected under HB 900. Any assertion to the contrary is either rooted in ignorance of state law or an open hostility to the will of the people,” he stated in his letter, which was shared in an Instagram post.
“The Bible is the most important and most read book in history, and removing it does a grave injustice to the students in your care.”
The state representative speculated in his letter that the district’s decision might have been politically motivated.
“Perhaps you disagree with our fight against radically explicit content in public schools like Canyon ISD,” he wrote.
Patterson also raised concerns about the legality of the district’s actions, stating that not only was the district’s interpretation completely wrong but also its decision to ban the Bible was likely illegal. He cited Chapter 28, Section 28.002 of the Texas Education Code, which includes the Bible as “enrichment school curriculum” due to its historical and cultural significance.
After receiving clarification from Patterson regarding the intent and scope of House Bill 900, the district reconsidered its stance.
In its statement to KAMR Local 4 News, CISD said, “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.”
