Potter Books Must Reappear in Library, Judge Rules

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Harry Potter books back onto an Arkansas school district’s library shelves, rejecting a school board’s claim that tales of wizards and spells could harm schoolchildren.

Ruling in favor of a fourth-grader’s parents, U.S. District Judge Jimm Larry Hendren ordered the Cedarville School District to put the four books in J.K. Rowling’s popular series back in general circulation.

The district’s board drew wrath from national free-speech groups for its June decision to require students to obtain parental permission to check out the books. The 3-2 decision, which overruled a unanimous decision by the district’s library committee, came after a parent complained about the books.

The Harry Potter books have been assailed by some Christian groups for their themes of witchcraft. The American Library Assn. says the books were the most frequently challenged of 2002.