BOSTON -- A Newton high school sophomore will not be required to read excerpts from the Bible after he refused to read the passages for an assignment because he is an atheist.

Newton South High School officials dropped the reading requirement for student Jack Summers, 15, who objected, saying "This is the word of God. People take this literally ... I don't want to read about what they believe to be true," according to the Newton Tab.

The reading is part of a literature assignment for an honors English class that also includes writings by Charles Dickens.

Officials said the school doesn't read from actual Bibles and instead distributes handouts with the Biblical passages. After Summers refused to read the passages and failed quizzes on the subject, his mother went to school officials with concerns, the newspaper reported.

The school said it would drop the failing quizzes and allow Summers to complete a project that doesn't use the Bible.