Court rules Texas can require Ten Commandments in classrooms

Apr 22, 2026 at 06:14 AM CDT

A federal appeals court says it is legal for Texas to require the Ten Commandments be displayed in classrooms across the state. — Image credit: Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images

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A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a Texas law requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in schools. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit said in a narrow 9-8 ruling that the law does not violate the separation of church and state, reversing two lower court decisions.

Opponents have argued that hanging the Ten Commandments in classrooms amounts to religious indoctrination by the government. However, the court disagreed, saying, “No child is made to recite the Commandments, believe them, or affirm their divine origin.”

Conservatives call it a win for bringing religion back into classrooms.

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Religion in Texas schools

The ruling is expected to face at least one more legal challenge. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has signaled it will take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The First Amendment safeguards the separation of church and state, and the freedom of families to choose how, when and if to provide their children with religious instruction. This decision tramples those rights,” the ACLU said in the statement.

This is not the only mandate that has sparked religious controversy in Texas schools.

In 2024, the state approved optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools. And a proposal set for a vote in June would add Bible stories to required reading lists in Texas classrooms.

Not the only state commanding the Commandments

Texas is not the only state to put the Ten Commandments in schools.

In February, a judge on the same court ruled that it’s too early to determine the constitutionality of a Louisiana law requiring that public schools display the Ten Commandments in their classrooms, allowing it to take effect. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a petition requesting that the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit review the case.

But last August, a federal judge in Arkansas blocked a law requiring public classrooms to display the Ten Commandments in four of the state’s 237 school districts. That injunction was made permanent in March.

Craig Nigrelli is an anchor and reporter for Straight Arrow News. As the face of Unbiased Updates and Media Miss Minute, he delivers concise, impartial, fact‑based context grounded in 35 years of reporting and anchoring across major U.S. markets.

Tags: ACLU, American Civil Liberties Union, Arkansas, Bible, Court of Appeals, Louisiana, schools, Supreme Court, ten commandments, Texas

Speaker 0 00:00:02 A federal appeals court says Texas can require public schools to display the 10 Commandments in a narrow nine to eight decision. The Fifth Circuit Court of appeals sided with the state reversing a lower court ruling that had blocked some districts from putting up the displays. Conservatives call it a win for bringing religion back into the classrooms. Opponents say it crosses a constitutional line, calling it government-sponsored religious instruction. But the court said the policy does not violate students’ rights writing in the decision. No child is made to recite the commandments, believe them or affirm their divine origin. The ruling is expected to face another legal challenge with the A CLU signaling. It will take the case to the US Supreme Court.

Why this story matters

A federal appeals court ruling allows Texas public schools to display the Ten Commandments, directly affecting what students encounter in classrooms while the legal outcome remains unsettled.

Texas classrooms display commandments

Texas public school students are now in classrooms where Ten Commandments displays are legally permitted following the Fifth Circuit's 9-8 ruling, which reversed two lower court decisions.

Legal outcome still contested

The ACLU has signaled it will take the case to the Supreme Court, meaning the ruling's permanence is not yet established, according to the organization's public statement.

Broader curriculum changes underway

Separately, Texas approved optional Bible-infused elementary curriculum in 2024 and a proposal that would add Bible stories to required reading lists is set for a vote in June.

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Debunking

State lawyers argued the Ten Commandments have deep roots in public school history, but a historian who testified in the case noted the commandments were not prominent aspects of early school texts and were largely used in religious settings before public schools were established in the 1800s.

Oppo research

The ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and coalition families plan to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing the ruling defies binding precedent. Dissenting Judge Higginson wrote that the majority 'usurps parents' rights to determine the religious beliefs they wish to instill in their own children.'

Policy impact

The ruling allows Texas to enforce Senate Bill 10 in all public school classrooms, affecting millions of students. Similar laws in Louisiana and Alabama are bolstered by the decision, and several other states are reportedly considering comparable legislation.

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Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left emphasizes religious pluralism and highlights multifaith families who "condemn" the ruling, framing the mandate as an imposed infringement.
Not enough unique coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
Media outlets on the right portray the decision as a triumphant judicial validation—using words like "upholds," "victory," "religious liberty," and "glorious history"—to celebrate religion in public life.

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Media landscape

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Key points from the Left

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 9-7 that Texas can require public schools to display the Ten Commandments, reversing a lower court's block on the law and stating it does not violate the First Amendment's Establishment or Free Exercise Clauses.
Texas Senate Bill 10 mandates posters of the Ten Commandments in all public classrooms, marking the largest such effort in the U.S..
Opponents, including the American Civil Liberties Union, argue the law violates constitutional principles on separation of church and state and plan to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Supporters, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, say the Ten Commandments are important to U.S. Moral values and history and consider the ruling a major victory that does not force religious belief.

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Key points from the Center

On Tuesday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Texas law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, ruling the mandate does not violate the First Amendment.
The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 10 in 2025, with Gov. Greg Abbott signing it into law last June, requiring schools to display donated posters measuring at least 16 by 20 inches in visible classroom spaces.
Representing 18 families, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit arguing the law violates the First Amendment by forcing children to "observe and venerate" a state-mandated religious text.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called the "separation of church and state" a "bogus claim," while the court ruled that Senate Bill 10 requires no religious exercise or observance from students.
The decision could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled public displays of the Ten Commandments unconstitutional in 1980, creating potential conflict with the Fifth Circuit's ruling.

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Key points from the Right

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld Texas Senate Bill 10, allowing the posting of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms if the display is donated to the school.
The court ruled that the law does not establish an official religion or compel students to believe or pray, distinguishing it from historical religious establishments.
Judges applied a 'history and tradition' standard, moving away from previous tests, and concluded the law does not resemble a historical establishment of religion.
The American Civil Liberties Union plans to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, calling it a violation of First Amendment principles.

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