FARMINGTON—After receiving a recommendation from the appeal committee to retain The King James Version of the Bible in school libraries at all levels, the Board of Education of the Davis School District voted unanimously at Tuesday’s meeting to accept the recommendation, reversing a previous committee-based decision. 

The district made this statement: 

“The appeal committee [made up of three board members] reviewed all relevant information pertaining to the original committee’s determination, as well as all information pertaining to appeal requests and public comments. The appeal committee determined that The Bible does not contain material which violates “bright line rule.” It then considered age appropriateness of The Bible using the standards outlined in law/policy. Based on its assessment of community standards, the appeal committee determined that The Bible has significant, serious value for minors which outweighs the violent or vulgar content it contains. Therefore, the appeal committee considers The Bible to be age appropriate and recommended that it be retained in school libraries at all levels (elementary, junior high, and high school).”  

The Davis School District came under fire both locally and nationally for removing The Bible from library shelves in elementary schools and junior high schools. There has been strong public opinion both for and against the decision and the district has been the subject of name-calling and even threats.

In the June 6 school board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Dan Linford explained the action prior to the public comment period where several individuals had signed up to discuss the removal.

“We received a request to review The King James Version of the Bible,” he said. “It goes to a review committee made up of four parents (selected from a lottery system) and three staff members.”

A review has two phases, he said. “In the first phase they determine if the book contains sensitive materials such as sexual content as determined by state law. The committee determined that The Bible does not contain sensitive materials. During the second phase the committee considers age appropriateness of content such as vulgarity or violence along with the literary or scientific value of the book for minors.”

Linford said the committee determined that it was age appropriate for high school students but not for junior high or elementary students. “As of May 22 there were eight copies in the district out of 80 junior highs and elementary schools.”

This has been the subject of scrutiny and discussion in the media, among policymakers and in the community, he said. “We have conducted a thorough review of the process and we’re confident that the district’s policy was followed appropriately.”

Lawmakers also weighed in. Prior to the Tuesday night vote, Senate President Stuart Adams gave this statement: “As a Utah Senator from Davis County, I represent thousands of constituents in the district. I believe a large majority of my constituents feel The Bible is not too violent or vulgar for elementary and junior high children, and it has substantial political, artistic, literary, religious and scientific value. I believe the decision to remove The Bible is not consistent with the community standard.”

Before the final vote, board members gave their thoughts on the recommendation. “The committee adhered to policy,” said Board Vice President Brigit Gerrard. “It is my firm opinion that The King James Version of the Bible is historically a very significant, important book of scripture with deep spiritual meaning for many people.”

“For me as a person of faith and a person that has a strong conviction for constitutional principles and someone who values books, it’s a lot of things that come together in one decision,” said Board President Liz Mumford. “I’m committed to following the laws addressing explicit materials in expeditious ways and engaging our community because you are so important to this work. I hope we can move forward by better applying our resources to serve the interests of our students.”