diff --git a/openapi_core/casting/schemas/factories.py b/openapi_core/casting/schemas/factories.py
index 7240fcc5..3c9b0f21 100644
--- a/openapi_core/casting/schemas/factories.py
+++ b/openapi_core/casting/schemas/factories.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from openapi_core.casting.schemas.casters import ArrayCaster
 from openapi_core.casting.schemas.casters import CallableSchemaCaster
 from openapi_core.casting.schemas.casters import DummyCaster
-from openapi_core.casting.schemas.util import forcebool
+from openapi_core.util import forcebool
 
 
 class SchemaCastersFactory:
diff --git a/openapi_core/casting/schemas/util.py b/openapi_core/casting/schemas/util.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 16a1d42c..00000000
--- a/openapi_core/casting/schemas/util.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-"""OpenAPI core casting schemas util module"""
-from distutils.util import strtobool
-
-
-def forcebool(val):
-    if isinstance(val, str):
-        val = strtobool(val)
-
-    return bool(val)
diff --git a/openapi_core/unmarshalling/schemas/unmarshallers.py b/openapi_core/unmarshalling/schemas/unmarshallers.py
index 64a473cf..bec882a4 100644
--- a/openapi_core/unmarshalling/schemas/unmarshallers.py
+++ b/openapi_core/unmarshalling/schemas/unmarshallers.py
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@
 from openapi_core.unmarshalling.schemas.exceptions import UnmarshalError
 from openapi_core.unmarshalling.schemas.exceptions import ValidateError
 from openapi_core.unmarshalling.schemas.formatters import Formatter
-from openapi_core.unmarshalling.schemas.util import forcebool
 from openapi_core.unmarshalling.schemas.util import format_byte
 from openapi_core.unmarshalling.schemas.util import format_date
 from openapi_core.unmarshalling.schemas.util import format_number
 from openapi_core.unmarshalling.schemas.util import format_uuid
+from openapi_core.util import forcebool
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
diff --git a/openapi_core/unmarshalling/schemas/util.py b/openapi_core/unmarshalling/schemas/util.py
index 58ce16d9..74b61e38 100644
--- a/openapi_core/unmarshalling/schemas/util.py
+++ b/openapi_core/unmarshalling/schemas/util.py
@@ -2,20 +2,12 @@
 import datetime
 from base64 import b64decode
 from copy import copy
-from distutils.util import strtobool
 from functools import lru_cache
 from uuid import UUID
 
 from openapi_schema_validator import oas30_format_checker
 
 
-def forcebool(val):
-    if isinstance(val, str):
-        val = strtobool(val)
-
-    return bool(val)
-
-
 def format_date(value):
     return datetime.datetime.strptime(value, "%Y-%m-%d").date()
 
diff --git a/openapi_core/util.py b/openapi_core/util.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..367736c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi_core/util.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+"""OpenAPI core util module"""
+
+
+def forcebool(val):
+    if isinstance(val, str):
+        val = val.lower()
+        if val in ("y", "yes", "t", "true", "on", "1"):
+            return True
+        elif val in ("n", "no", "f", "false", "off", "0"):
+            return False
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(f"invalid truth value {val!r}")
+
+    return bool(val)
diff --git a/tests/unit/templating/test_util.py b/tests/unit/templating/test_templating_util.py
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/unit/templating/test_util.py
rename to tests/unit/templating/test_templating_util.py
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_util.py b/tests/unit/test_util.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a262d0c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_util.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import pytest
+
+from openapi_core.util import forcebool
+
+
+class TestForcebool:
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("val", ["y", "yes", "t", "true", "on", "1", True])
+    def test_true(self, val):
+        result = forcebool(val)
+        assert result is True
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "val", ["n", "no", "f", "false", "off", "0", False]
+    )
+    def test_false(self, val):
+        result = forcebool(val)
+        assert result is False
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("val", ["random", "idontknow", ""])
+    def test_value_error(self, val):
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            forcebool(val)