A school district in Utah removed The Bible from its elementary and middle schools for containing 'vulgarity and violence.'

On December 11, 2022, an unnamed parent complained that the King James version of the Bible was unsuitable for children. The David School District, located north of Salt Lake City, has now removed the scriptures from the schools, The Daily Mail reports.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the complainant believed the Bible to be pornographic per the definition of pornography under a 2022 Utah law about sensitive materials in schools. The district may also remove the Book of Mormon, the Tribune reports.

There has been no further disclosure by the school district authority as to which parts of the Bible were deemed vulgar and violent. However, a public records request made by Tribune shows that the complainant noted events of rape, incest and prostitution in the Bible.

A group called Parents United has been challenging school boards across the USA, raising concerns about how sexual and violent material is interpreted in schools.

The complainant wrote: "Utah Parents United left off one of the most sex-ridden books around: The Bible," and added: "You'll no doubt find that the Bible (under state law) has `no serious values for minors' because it's pornographic by our new definition.'

The review committee decided the Bible did not qualify for pornography or indecency under Utah's legal definition. The Scriptures are still available in the district's high schools. An unnamed party has recently filed an appeal against this decision.

Utah legislators passed the Sensitive Materials in Schools Act in March 2022. The law "prohibits certain sensitive instructional materials in public schools," but school districts are authorized to decide which materials should be banned.

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