Redlands Unified trustees are set Tuesday night to hear a formal complaint that targets the King James Version of the Bible and asks that it be removed from school library shelves. The filing argues the translation contains passages that are inappropriate for students, and whoever lodged the challenge has not been publicly identified. The hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the district boardroom downtown.
According to reporting by The Mercury News, the complaint singles out the King James Version and claims certain passages are sexually explicit and therefore unfit for schoolchildren. The outlet reports that the district review committee used a 1-to-25 scoring rubric and placed the Bible in the 4-to-7 range, which the panel treated as the lowest category of concern. The committee issued three report cards dated Feb. 24, recommending that the book remain on library shelves.
Board process and the public hearing
Community Forward Redlands notes that the challenge is moving through the district’s instructional materials complaint process and is formally listed on Tuesday night’s agenda. After the public hearing, trustees are expected to deliberate and then vote on whether the Bible should be restricted by grade level or removed entirely. If the board finds it unsuitable for any grade level, district policy requires libraries to pull the book within five business days. The full agenda packet is posted on the board’s online portal, and the meeting will be livestreamed for anyone who cannot make it to the boardroom.
What the review committee found
Under a policy the board revised last year, any challenged book is temporarily pulled and reviewed by a district panel within 45 days. The committee uses a rubric that rates sexual and violent content, literary context, and age appropriateness. As detailed by Redlands Daily Facts, the rubric breaks evaluations into five areas and produces a numeric report card that the board can rely on when it makes final decisions. Those report cards, and the panel’s conclusion that low scores signal minimal concern, are at the heart of tonight’s debate.
State law and competing rules
The California Legislature’s text for Assembly Bill 1078 bars school boards from banning instructional materials or library books simply because they present inclusive or diverse perspectives, and it sets out procedures for how complaints must be handled. As reported by The Mercury News, critics argue that Redlands’ policy, along with recent book removals, risks clashing with AB 1078. National advocacy groups such as the Freedom From Religion Foundation have also weighed in during similar disputes, contending that any policy targeting sexual content has to be enforced consistently, including when it comes to religious texts, or dropped altogether.
Context: a district under pressure
Trustees are taking up the Bible complaint while juggling wider community frustration over budget cuts and new library rules. In January, board-approved reductions were reported as potentially affecting dozens of library staffers. The board’s December decisions to pull ‘Push’ by Sapphire and to limit Toni Morrison’s ‘The Bluest Eye’ to adult checkouts have already supercharged local arguments over how the rubric is being used. Those earlier votes, along with the revised August policy that created the 45-day review process, set the stage for tonight’s high-profile hearing on the King James Bible.
How to watch and what comes next
Community Forward Redlands lists the meeting as opening at 6 p.m. in the boardroom at 25 W. Lugonia Ave., with a closed session convening earlier and the open session livestreamed on the district’s website. Public comment will be taken during a single comment period near the start of the meeting. Trustees could vote right after their deliberations or decide to schedule more review. If the board orders removal for any grade level, district policy requires school libraries to comply within five business days…