A citizen’s challenge to the presence of the Bible in Volusia County, Florida, schools has been rejected by school officials and it will not be removed, as activists had demanded.
A report from the Daytona Beach News-Journal explained the challenge was raised by Christina Quinn, a Daytona Beach resident.
The report explained she’s not in favor of book banning, but “believes the Bible should be removed if the district is banning books with similar content.”
It’s a stunt that has appeared regularly in schools across the nation where the issue of explicit sex education materials and such has developed. Someone in the community then demands the removal of the Bible for its documentation of life in ancient Israel, and its Old Testament laws.
It was one of 89 books brought under review over the last year. However, only two, “Flamer” by Mike Curato and “Relish: My Life in the Kitchen” by Lucy Knisley actually were removed, the report said.
Quinn charged, “If we’re going to have some kind of protocol for books that are banned, then we have to make sure that the same rules apply across the board. That includes the Bible.”
But Volusia’s instructional materials coordinator Desiree Rybinksi cited state law allowing students to study the Bible and religion in their K-12 public schools as reason for not acting on the complaint.
Quinn, who is connected to Central Floridians for Social Equality, had said, “If a book is being removed from public school bookshelves due to its sexual content (which often includes stories of marginalized people), then so should books such as the Bible,” the report explained.
Copies of the Bible are found in multiple schools in Volusia.
In fact, portions of the Bible are included in the Florida Department of Education’s B.E.S.T. (Benchmark for Excellent Student Thinking) Standards for English Language Arts. The reading list recommends the Book of Esther for seventh-graders, 2 Samuel for high school sophomores, and the Book of Psalms for high school juniors,” the report said.
Quinn, in fact, claimed the Bible is “pornographic,” the report said.
Jessie Thompson, a school board member, also reported she got an email from Sheila Zinkerman and Laurel Robinson of the citizens’ group.
They told Thompson to remove her personal Bible from the board room dais.
“We believe a Bible or any other faith-based books has no legitimate place on a dais occupied by elected government officials. While it is permissible and common practice for public officials to place their hand on a Bible for swearing-in ceremonies, that action is acknowledged as a personal reference to the faith of the individual being sworn in and does not tie that faith to official actions of the school board,” they accused.
Thompson declined.
This article was originally published by the WND News Center.
This post originally appeared on WND News Center.