I support the Davis School District in its fairness to navigate the complex rules established by the Utah Legislature regarding the books available in public school libraries.

And as for the right-wing moralists in the Legislature: Be careful what you wish for because there are consequences to every action.

In a previous column I predicted that the request of a Davis County parent to remove the Bible from school libraries could (and should) fail. The Bible, as taken as a whole, is certainly not pornographic or harmful to students. (Neither is the Book of Mormon which has since been recommended by a parent for removal.)

My position stands, but my prediction was only partially right. The school district review board temporarily removed the Bible from elementary and junior high shelves while keeping it in high school libraries.

That incensed the ultra-conservative moralists in the Legislature, demanding that the school board and its superintendent overrule the review board or face undetermined punishment. Parents protested at the State Capitol, and angry calls and emails were directed at the district. You would have thought Superintendent Dan Linford was the Great Satan.

Sorry, legislators and right-wing voters. As songwriter Billy Joel once sang, the district “didn’t start the fire.”

Legislators were so consumed by fears that a student would read about the challenges of being gay that they penciled language which would remove a host of novels featuring a homosexual or trans character. It was the legislators who defined untenable language including violence, sexuality, etc. Granted, the books were to be judged for their worth in their entirety, not just for a single act or phrase, but it left districts to figure out individual books and allowed even a single individual to file a complaint.

The legislators were expecting that books about a boy having “two mommies” would be removed. They weren’t expecting that Nephi and Laban would become targets.

Supt. Linford coolly responded with professionalism. “I believe the Bible is a sacred text” regarding the Bible removal. “But it would be inappropriate for me to use my position to protect my own beliefs or opinions on the decision-making process…We are striving to create the best possible learning environment, free from harmful content…but inclusive of varied perspectives and, most of all, respectful and considerate of every person in the diverse community where we live and serve.”

Yes, be careful what you wish for. In contrast to the hotheads in the Utah Legislature, the Illinois Legislature took the opposite approach last week. It passed a bill denying state funding to public libraries which restrict or ban materials “due to partisan or doctrinal disapproval.”

Ironic, isn’t it? The Bible and Book of Mormon will be available in a politically liberal state not afraid of diversity and equality. But in Utah, well, maybe not, because its legislators started a fight which could backfire. 

Bryan Gray, a longtime Davis County resident, is a former school teacher and has been a columnist for more than 26 years in newspapers along the Wasatch Front.