U.S. JUDGE RULES SCHOOLS CANNOT REQUIRE PARENTAL PERMISSION FOR
POTTER BOOKS
Federal Judge Overrules Elected School Board Decision and Some
Parents Wishes
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., April 23, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - U.S. District
Judge Jimm Larry
Hendren has overruled a decision by the elected Cedarville
District School Board to restrict Harry Potter books. After
complaints from parents about the books, the school board decided
last June that students wishing to take the controversial books out
of school libraries would have to have parental permission.
The books which have been of concern for their possible promotion of
witchcraft to some vulnerable readers were ordered by the judge into
unrestricted circulation in the school libraries. A Christian
commentator concerned about the Harry Potter series commented to
LifeSite that books about good
witches vs
bad witches would be similar to, for instance, books on good
adulterers vs bad adulterers.
Christianity considers both witchcraft and adultery as grave evils.
There can be neither good witches nor good adulterers and such books
therefore create moral confusion.
See the CNN coverage of the ruling:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/04/23/harry.potter.ap/index.html
See LifeSite's The Trouble
Of Harry Potter page:
http://www.lifesite.net/features/harrypotter/index.html
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/apr/03042305.html