Utah school district to pull two books from library shelves

A Southern Utah school district's reading list gets a second look. Photo: Aaron Burden

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A Utah school district is removing two books from libraries after a complaint from a parent.

The Washington County School District in Southern Utah will pull the award-winning books “Out of Darkness” and “The Hate U Give,” communications director Steven Dunham told KTVX. The first book will come off secondary school shelves and the second will be removed from elementary and intermediate schools.

“Out of Darkness” follows a romantic relationship between two teenagers, a Mexican American girl and an African-American boy, in Texas in the 1930s. “The Hate U Give” follows a 16-year-old’s life after the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend at the hands of a police officer amid the Black Lives Matter movement.

The decision comes after committees reviewed the books and found profanity and sexually explicit content, Dunham said. He said the school recognizes parents’ rights, but hopes parents also recognize there are valuable lessons to be taken from the literature.

Another Utah school district, the Canyons, removed several books to review them last month after an email complaint. Libraries around the country have seen increased calls to review or remove books from school libraries, part of a renewed conservative interest in public education as a political issue.