Judge blocks Arkansas law requiring Ten Commandments in schools
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A federal judge on Monday permanently blocked enforcement of an Arkansas law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms if they are donated.
State of play: The ruling by Chief Judge Timothy Brooks prohibits six school districts — Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, Siloam Springs, Conway and Lakeside — from displaying the commandments.
- Families of students in those school districts of diverse religious and nonreligious backgrounds sued, saying the law violated First Amendment rights.
How it works: "While the injunction is technically limited to the districts involved in the case, the constitutional analysis underlying the decision applies statewide," Megan Bailey, spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arkansas, told Axios in an email.
Zoom in: "It appears that with the passage of Act 573, the state may have lost sight of the fact that 'a union of government and religion tends to destroy government and to degrade religion,'" Brooks wrote.
What they're saying: The ruling is "a resounding affirmation that public schools are not Sunday schools. The Constitution protects every student's right to learn free from government-imposed religious doctrine," John C. Williams, legal director for the ACLU of Arkansas, said in a statement.
What's next: "In Arkansas, we believe murder is wrong and stealing is bad — and there's nothing wrong with our students learning that too," Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders posted on X. "We will appeal this ruling and defend our state's values."