Classroom displays of the Ten Commandments will remain off-limits in Texas public schools for now. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday, blocking a new law from taking effect.
The case is expected to eventually go before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Senate Bill 10 and the lawsuit
The lawsuit challenges Senate Bill 10, which would require public schools statewide to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. The measure became law in June after Gov. Greg Abbott signed it, with plans for it to take effect Sept. 1.
Court filings list 11 school districts, preventing any of their schools from displaying the Ten Commandments. The Texas Education Agency and the state education commissioner are also named in the lawsuit.
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“Even though the Ten Commandments would not be affirmatively taught, the captive audience of students likely would have questions, which teachers would feel compelled to answer. That is what they do,” said U.S. District Judge Fred Biery in the court ruling.
Families in the Dallas area, along with local faith leaders, challenged the law, saying it violates the First Amendment by mixing religion with public education and infringing on the right to freely practice their faith.
Understanding the First Amendment
The First Amendment includes two key protections for religion. The Establishment Clause bars the government from promoting or endorsing a particular religion. The Free Exercise Clause guarantees that individuals can practice their faith freely without interference from the government.
Together, these clauses often guide court decisions when laws involve religion in public schools, like the mandate to display the Ten Commandments.
Legal representation and reactions
The families were represented by the ACLU, Freedom from Religion Foundation and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
“Public schools are not Sunday schools,” said Heather L. Weaver, senior counsel for the ACLU’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. “Today’s decision ensures that our clients’ schools will remain spaces where all students, regardless of their faith, feel welcomed and can learn without worrying that they do not live up to the state’s preferred religious beliefs.”
In a statement to multiple news outlets, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the judge’s ruling was flawed and that he plans to appeal the decision.
“The Ten Commandments are a cornerstone of our moral and legal heritage, and their presence in classrooms serves as a reminder of the values that guide responsible citizenship,” he said.
Texas already displays a Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol grounds, a practice the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in a 2005 ruling.
Similar laws in Louisiana and Arkansas, which would have required classrooms to display the Ten Commandments, were also blocked in court, preventing any such displays in schools.
