The head of a school district in Texas removed the Bible from school libraries because of a new state law prohibiting sexual material in books. Darryl Flusche, Canyon Independent School District Superintendent, announced in a leaked email that he was banning scripture. House Bill 900, which the Texas Legislature passed in 2023, banned “sexually explicit material.”
In an email to upset parents, Flusche expressed that the full text of the Bible had been banned because it was affected by this law. Portions of the Bible remain in the library. He reasoned that the law forbids “sexually explicit material which is defined as “any communication, language, or material” that describes or depicts sexual conduct in a manner that is “patently offensive.”
He noted that there are 30 titles in the library available at Canyon Jr. High which are “Bible stories or portions of the Bible.” He also mentioned that the school has “strong connections with local churches that [would be] happy to donate a Bible upon request.” The Christian Post, which published the story, reached out to Both Flusche and the district for comment and has not received a response.
He says “We are more than willing to assist a student who would like access to a Bible by arranging this from one of our partnering churches.” The superintendent wrapped up the email by begging the parents to contact their representatives about HB 900. Parents were outraged by the decision and made their opinions known at a Dec. 9 school board meeting.
Regina Kiehne, a Canyon ISD parent said “seems absurd to me that the Good Book was thrown out with the bad books.” Kiehne, a mother of two children in the district, In a day when we are needing security guards and bulletproof windows and doors, I think having the Word of God available to our children cannot only be preventative to violence, but also provide comfort and a sense of security in a chaotic world.”
She argued that in a time of increasing anxiety, students should be able to turn to scripture for comfort. She thinks that school violence, inflation, and political strife are affect students health. She said “It just makes sense to have the Word of God in our school library. After all, it is the book of wisdom. It is the bestselling book of all time; it is historically accurate, scientifically sound, and most importantly, life-changing.”
This mother drew attention to the Bible’s status as the most stolen book in history. She explained “The only reason something is stolen is because it is valuable. The Bible holds great value. It should be valued in our Texas school system.” This event is only the most recent in a fierce debate over the place of scripture in public education,
Last year, Texas Republicans, including Republican Rep. Bill Zedler, have put forth bills to place a copy of the Ten Commandments in classrooms statewide. He argues that they provide strong moral instruction and align with traditional American values. Advocates argue that access to Christian texts supports a deeper understanding of history, critical thinking and the development of character.