Judge: make Potter books kid-accessible

Christian Century, June 28, 2003

A federal judge in Arkansas has ruled that schoolchildren in Cedarville must have access to Harry Potter books, despite the objection of some parents who say the wildly popular novels teach witchcraft. U.S. District Judge Jimm Larry Hendren rejected a policy that forced children to obtain permission slips to check the books out of a school library.

The policy was implemented last summer after one parent, Angle Haney, said her pastor had told her that the books about a young wizard taught children sorcery and witchcraft. The school board voted 3-2 to restrict the books, according to the Associated Press. Billy and Mary Nell Counts, parents of a fourth-grader, filed suit with church-state and First Amendment groups to free up the books. The Countses were concerned that their daughter, Dakota, would be targeted if she were seen with the "evil" books.

School officials said they were studying the judge's decision but planned to return the Harry Potter books to general circulation. "This court has rescued Harry Potter from the clutches of religious hysteria," said Barry Lynn, director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. "Instead of waving a magic wand, the judge waved the Constitution."--RNS