Chattanooga, TN — The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has called on a Chattanooga school within the Hamilton County Schools (HCS) system to remove the Bible from its library shelves, citing inconsistency in the district’s recent wave of book bans. The request comes as HCS faces criticism for its removal of several books that promote diversity and inclusion, claiming they contain “sexual content.”
The HCS system has recently banned multiple books, including The Hope Chest by Karen Schwabach, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, and Queer, There, and Everywhere by Sarah Prager. Even Far From the Tree by Robin Benway, the 2017 winner of the U.S. National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, was not spared. Among these, a book detailing the women’s suffrage movement leading to the 19th Amendment’s passage was also removed. The district’s actions have sparked a nationwide debate on censorship and the role of schools in regulating the content available to students.
In response to these actions, FFRF, the nation’s largest association of freethinkers with over 40,000 members, has pointed out the presence of four copies of the Christian Standard Bible at Allen Elementary School. The organization argues that if the district is committed to banning books for their sexual or violent content, the Bible should also be removed from school libraries to maintain consistency.
FFRF Patrick O’Reiley Legal Fellow Hirsh M. Joshi wrote to the school principal, stating, “The District cannot ban books because it disagrees with the viewpoint expressed while allowing other sexually explicit books to remain because it supports their viewpoint.”
The Bible, according to FFRF, contains numerous descriptions of sexual conduct, violence, and other content that, by the district’s standards, would be deemed inappropriate. The organization highlights more than 150 passages within the Bible that feature references to rape, genocide, prostitution, and other acts of violence. FFRF argues that by keeping the Bible on the shelves while removing other books, the district is engaging in impermissible viewpoint discrimination.
“When the government tries to censor books for kids because they are inappropriate, the government must apply that same standard evenhandedly,” adds Joshi. “The Bible is not exempt from those policies because, at the end of the day, it is still just ink on paper. If HCS is engaging in an honest, good-faith review of appropriate materials for children, it will have to ban the Bible or put other books back on the shelves.”
Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF Co-President, echoes Joshi’s sentiment. “Keeping school libraries free from religious intrusion is vital for critical thinking,” Gaylor asserts. “Banning books only opens the door to more extreme challenges. But if the district is going to ban books based on graphic sexual content, it needs to start with the Bible.”
FFRF’s challenge to HCS highlights a broader issue regarding the separation of church and state. The organization, which acts as a watchdog to safeguard this constitutional principle, argues that religious texts should not receive preferential treatment in public schools. With almost 500 members and a chapter in Tennessee, FFRF continues to advocate for a consistent application of the district’s policies.
The book bans in Hamilton County have ignited a debate over what materials are deemed suitable for young readers. While some parents and administrators argue that the banned books contain inappropriate content, others believe that the removals stifle important discussions on diversity, social justice, and history. Critics of the bans argue that shielding students from these topics hinders their education and development as critical thinkers.
As the controversy unfolds, the FFRF’s demand that the Bible be banned from school libraries places Hamilton County Schools in a difficult position. If the district upholds its current bans without addressing the FFRF’s concerns, it risks accusations of inconsistency and favoritism. On the other hand, removing the Bible could provoke backlash from religious communities and parents who view the text as an essential part of moral and ethical education.
The ongoing debate in Chattanooga is emblematic of a larger national conversation about the role of religion in public schools and the boundaries of censorship. As districts across the country grapple with these issues, the actions taken by Hamilton County Schools could set a precedent for how religious texts are treated in educational settings.
For now, the eyes of both supporters and critics of the HCS book bans remain fixed on Chattanooga, awaiting the district’s response to FFRF’s challenge. Will Hamilton County Schools remove the Bible from its shelves, or will it reconsider its recent book bans to avoid accusations of discrimination? The district’s decision could have far-reaching implications for the future of school libraries across the nation.