Texas school district pulls Anne Frank’s diary, Bible from shelves

A Texas school district has pulled the Bible, an illustrated version of Anne Frank’s diary and about 40 other books from its libraries after the tomes sparked complaints from parents and community members.

The Keller Independent School District emailed principals on Tuesday morning ordering the temporary removal of the books, according to the Dallas Morning News.

“By the end of today, I need all books pulled from the library and classrooms,” the email said. “More information will be sent regarding action for these books… Once this has been completed, please email me a confirmation. We need to ensure this action is taken by the end of today.”

The inclusion of the Bible in the Dallas-area school district’s libraries was first challenged by a parent in November 2021, according to the Keller ISD website that tracks which books families or members of the community have complained about.

Even though that parent withdrew the challenge a month later, the Christian holy book was still ordered to be removed from district libraries, along with dozens others including “Anne Frank’s Diary (The Graphic Adaptation)” and Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.”

Last year, a school district committee recommended many of the challenged books not be removed, according to the local Fox station. But since then, three new members have been elected to the school board, possibly explaining the order.

The books pulled from shelves will undergo another review by staff and librarians under a new policy adopted last week, the school district said in a statement.

Keller ISD has been under investigation since last year by The Texas Education Agency because of books with sexual content.

Since then, parents and staff have met behind closed doors to review books that could be considered controversial and determine if they have a place in schools.

The debate has been so heated, members of the district’s Book Challenge Committees were asked to sign confidentiality agreements.