Texas Schools Remove Bibles - Online Outrage Ensues (Briefly)
Texas lawmaker says he did not mean to outlaw Bibles from Public School Libraries - even if his law did
Jack Beavers
(Note: this is the first article from our “misc.” category - things I find of interest from US Southern Border states that don’t neatly fit into our other sections):
A small Texas Panhandle school district is at the center of a growing online backlash after The Christian Post reported Bibles were pulled from the shelves of its libraries.
(This story has taken several turns since then, so bear with me until the end of this article.)
Genesis of a controversy:
The Post published an email from Canyon ISD's Superintendent Dr. Darryl Flusche in response to what appears to be a question about the absence of Bibles in the Canyon Junior High School library:
The superintendent responded by citing its required compliance with a new State Law (HB 900) which "establishes library standards that restrict content in school libraries. ... This standard for library content probits books that have one instance of sexual conduct ... Therefore, HB 900 doesn't allow numerous books, including the full text of the Bible, to be available in the school library."
Superintendent Flusche also pointed to "30 titles in the Canyon Junior High library that are Bible stories or portions of the Bible."
Those books include "In the Beginning - Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood:"
As well as "The God I Love - A Lifetime of Walking with Jesus:"
(In fact, when we plugged in search terms other than "Bible" like "God" or "Jesus") we found far more than 30 Christian titles in that Public School library. The point is: that the Canyon ISD appears far from a repository of "secular humanis m" literature).
Lamentations from the public:
Nonetheless, the criticism of the district in response to the Christian Post article - amplified by other stories in mostly conservative media outlets was swift and predictable in online comment sections - which we will not quote.
What's interesting is how the initial criticism of the district went down in Canyon itself:
Canyon ISD parent Regina Kiehne appeared before the school board at its last meeting of the year and said it "seems absurd to me that the Good Book was thrown out with the bad books."
However, instead of blasting the Superintendent or the School Board for the removal of the Bible from its libraries - she urged the community to contact the state legislature which passed the law - a point Superintendent Flusche made in his reply to the person who sent him the email that sparked the controversy:
"We hope our parents share their voice with the legislature concerning HB900" -Canyon ISD Superintendent Dr. Darryl Flusche
Exodus - The Controversy Fizzles (maybe):
(Side note: today's controversy over sexually explicit passages in the Bible was foreseen by more than a few people - including Paul Combs - who presciently wrote an essay on Medium.com a year ago: "The Texas Legislature Just Accidentally Banned the Bible from School Libraries.)"
His subtitle efficiently summed up the situation that was to come: "Oops," he wrote.
All this leads to the sponsor of HB 900 - who suddenly finds himself in the hot seat.
Austin State Representative Jared Patterson dashed off a letter this week to Canyon ISD Superintendent Dr. Darryl Flusche declaring that "the Bible, and other religious texts, are protected under HB 900."
"I strongly urge you to reread ... the Texas Education Code ... and put the Bible back on the shelves." -Texas State Representative Jared Patterson (December 18, 2024)
With that legal cover (which may or may not hold up to a court challenge) - the Canyon ISD quickly issued a new email - stating:
"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." - Canyon ISD email (December 19, 2024)
What are your thoughts about HB 900 & the controversy about placing the Bible on the shelves of Texas Public School Libraries?
Share your opinion in the comments on this article!
Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
