Granite School District and every other Utah school board can now vote to remove books from school libraries without public discussion, under a state ruling issued Monday, Sept. 28.

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) sided with Davis District in a parent complaint, ruling that placing book ban appeals on a consent agenda with no verbal debate counts as permissible "routine business." The Salt Lake Tribune first reported the decision, which marks the first procedural ruling under Utah's sensitive materials law, House Bill 29 (HB29), and applies to all 41 school districts.

The ruling matters in Millcreek because Granite District's role in statewide book removals has been expanding. The district participated in banning "Push" by Sapphire in August, "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard in April and "Bag of Bones" by Stephen King earlier this year, according to KPCW and Salt Lake Tribune reporting. Granite is one of nine districts, out of 41 statewide, that have contributed to book removals under HB29.

Whether Granite's board uses consent agendas for its own book ban votes is not clear from public records. No Granite District statement on the USBE ruling has been made public.

Julie Jackson, the Granite board member representing Precinct 1 covering Millcreek and Holladay, has voiced concern about the state's approach to book removals. "Communities know best what is right for their kids, not legislators," Jackson told the Millcreek Journal in June. Jackson announced at the Aug. 4 Granite board meeting that she will resign her seat effective Dec. 31 to serve in the Utah House of Representatives.

The USBE ruling stemmed from Davis District's April 7 vote to ban Chuck Palahniuk's novel "Fight Club" without stating its rationale aloud, as state law requires. A parent filed a complaint. A USBE subcommittee and an assistant attorney general both recommended finding Davis in violation, but the full state board disagreed.

"After 40-plus times, I really do think this was their policy that they followed," USBE member Rod Hall said during the board's deliberations, as the Tribune reported. Davis has placed more than 40 book ban appeals on consent agendas over two years.

Davis District said it will change course anyway, moving future book appeals to regular agenda items with public discussion despite the ruling in its favor.

Statewide, 37 titles have now been removed from public schools under HB29. None had been available to elementary students. Separately, a federal judge ruled Sept. 17 that authors whose books have been banned can continue their lawsuit alleging the law is unconstitutional.

Granite District's next board meeting has not been publicly posted for this topic.