A school in Nashville, Tennessee has banned JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books after the pastor who runs the school declared the books contain real spells and curses. 

Reverend Dan Reehill, of St Edward Catholic School in Nashville, told parents in an email that he had spoken to exorcists in the US and at the Vatican before banning the book series.

“These books present magic as both good and evil, which is not true, but in fact a clever deception. The curses and spells used in the books are actual curses and spells; which when read by a human being risk conjuring evil spirits into the presence of the person reading the text,” Reverend Reehill wrote.

Rebecca Hammel, the superintendent of schools for the Catholic Diocese of Nashville, said since the Catholic Church does not have an official position on the Harry Potter Mr Reehill has the final say on the subject.

“Each pastor has canonical authority to make such decisions for his parish school,” she said. “He’s well within his authority to act in that manner.”