Texas law requiring Ten Commandments temporarily halted in some schools
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
A federal judge in San Antonio temporarily barred some school districts from implementing a Texas law requiring every public school classroom to display the Ten Commandments.
Why it matters: The ruling slows one of the nation's most aggressive pushes to mandate religious displays in public schools — setting up a likely First Amendment fight that could reach the Supreme Court.
Catch up quick: The law, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature earlier this year, mandated a 16x20-inch Ten Commandments poster in every classroom and was set to take effect Sept. 1.
- Sixteen Texas families from San Antonio, Austin, Houston and elsewhere — backed by the American Civil Liberties Union — sued in July to stop it, naming 11 school districts, including Alamo Heights, Northside, Northeast and Lackland ISDs.
Caveat: U.S. District Judge Fred Biery's order only blocks the law in the 11 districts named in the lawsuit — in the Austin, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas areas — not statewide.
What they're saying: Biery wrote that the law would likely result in unconstitutional religious coercion.
- "The displays are likely to pressure the child-Plaintiffs into religious observance, meditation on, veneration, and adoption of the State's favored religious scripture, and into suppressing expression of their own religious or nonreligious background and beliefs while at school," he wrote.
- "Children's religious beliefs should be instilled by parents and faith communities, not politicians and public schools," San Antonio plaintiff Rabbi Mara Nathan said in a statement.
The other side: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told Axios he would appeal the ruling.
- "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," Paxton said in a statement.
- "Texas will always defend our right to uphold the foundational principles that have built this nation, and I will absolutely be appealing this flawed decision."
This story has been updated with comment to Axios from Attorney General Ken Paxton.