(NewsNation) —While there are more than two months left before a Utah law creating a pathway for school book bans goes into effect, several school districts in the state have already begun removing books from their shelves.
Utah’s governor signed HB29 into law last month, which would create a protocol for books to be banned statewide if at least three school districts or at least two school districts and five charter schools determine a book is “objective sensitive material,” or has material that is “pornographic or indecent” defined under state law, reported Utah News Dispatch.
The law expands upon HB374, a law passed in 2022 that allows parents to challenge “sensitive materials” in schools.
As HB29 is slated to go into effect on July 1, the Utah State Board of Education is working through how to implement it and reviewing books, the outlet reported.
“If any material should meet the threshold requirements according to HB29, that information will be shared by USBE after July 1,” a USBE spokesperson told the outlet.
The board said they have not issued any statewide removals as of now, but that hasn’t stopped several Utah districts from undertaking their own inquiry and removal of books from school libraries under the 2022 law, reported the Utah News Dispatch.
Last month, the Granite School District, which is spread across central Salt Lake County, removed the title “An Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie.
The removal was initiated after a parent complained that the book “was found to be in violation” of the state’s current definition of “indecent public displays,” under descriptions or depictions of “illicit sex or sexual immorality,” reported the outlet.
The book is about a boy living on the Spokane Indian Reservation who transfers from the high school on his reservation to a rich, white school in a nearby town. The book won the National Book Awards for Young People’s Literature in 2007.
Those supporting its removal say they take issue with some passages about sex and masturbation, while those opposed to the book’s removal said the sexual topics are not overly graphic or explicit, according to the outlet.
The Granite School District has also pulled “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, and “The Freedom Writers Diary” by Erin Gruwell for further review.
A Granite School District spokesperson told the Utah News Dispatch the decision was made under existing district policies for approved novels and “sensitive materials,” which specifies available books can’t contain sexually explicit descriptions.
“They’re being reviewed to see if there is in fact any legitimacy to concerns about those materials,” the spokesman said, reported the outlet.
The Davis School District, which is north of Salt Lake City, has also recently pulled “An Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” “The Kite Runner,” and “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”
Let Davis Read, an anti-ban group, said it tracked at least 17 books that were recently removed or limited to kids in high school “without explanation,” according to the outlet.
The school district’s review committee initially determined “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” did not contain sensitive material as defined by Utah law, but on March 29 the book was removed in response to an appeal, the outlet reported.
“Our intent is to be fully compliant with law and policy and provide as much transparency as possible.” Christopher Williams, a Davis School District spokesperson, said in a statement, according to the outlet.
“All decisions for the retention and removal of books are accurately posted on the district website,” Williams said. “Some of those decisions were posted prior to policy changes and/or appeal process decisions, and we are actively working to update the supporting rationale statements posted online so they will be reflective of the posted decisions.”
Ahead of HB29 being implemented, “We are anxiously awaiting and will be adjusting our policy as needed to be compliant with the provisions outlined in the bill when the law goes into effect,” Williams said.
