A federal appeals court ruled that Texas can require public schools in the state to display the Ten Commandments in their classrooms.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld the state’s Senate Bill 10, which calls for Texas’s public elementary or secondary schools to display the Ten Commandments in each school classroom, starting in the 2025-2026 school year.
In the lawsuit, Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District, 16 multifaith families had challenged the bill, saying it violated their First Amendment right to religious freedom. The appeals court reversed the decision of a lower district court that sided with the plaintiffs.
The appeals court wrote in the decision that they disagreed with the plaintiff’s argument that “merely exposing children to religious language is enough to make the displays engines of coercive indoctrination.”
“Because Plaintiffs fail to show that S.B. 10 substantially burdens their right to religious exercise, their Free Exercise claims must be dismissed. Accordingly, we REVERSE the district court’s judgment,” the appeals court decision reads.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton celebrated the decision on Tuesday, calling it a “win” for Texans.
“This is a major victory for Texas and our moral values,” Paxton said. “My office was proud to defend SB 10 and successfully ensure that the Ten Commandments will be displayed in classrooms across Texas. The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it’s important that students learn from them every single day.”
WHAT RELIGION DO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ESTABLISH?
If the plaintiffs appeal the decision, the case could reach the Supreme Court. The American Civil Liberties Union, which is part of the council representing the multifaith plaintiffs, said “we anticipate” bringing the case to the highest 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,” the ACLU joint statement said. “This decision tramples those rights.”