Law ruled unconstitutional ahead of September start date
A federal judge has halted a controversial Texas law that would’ve required all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments.
The law, known as Senate Bill 10, was set to take effect on September 1 but faced immediate legal pushback from families of various faiths.
Judge Fred Biery issued a preliminary injunction on Wednesday, calling the law unconstitutional and saying it promotes specific religious beliefs in public schools.
Judge: Law favors Christianity, excludes other faiths
In his 55-page ruling, Judge Biery wrote that the law “impermissibly takes sides on theological questions” and gives preference to Christian denominations. He argued that it could send an “exclusionary and spiritually burdensome message” to students who don’t follow the displayed version of the Ten Commandments.
He added that this kind of messaging could make those students feel like they “don’t belong” in their own schools.
Parents, faith leaders respond
Rabbi Mara Nathan, one of the parents involved in the lawsuit, praised the ruling. “Children’s religious beliefs should be instilled by parents and faith communities, not politicians and public schools,” she said.
Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, also backed the decision, saying it reinforces students’ rights to religious freedom in public schools.
Not the first law of its kind to be blocked
This isn’t the only state pushing religious displays in classrooms. A similar law in Louisiana was blocked in November for violating the First Amendment, and Oklahoma’s education chief recently ordered Bible instruction in public schools — a move now under legal scrutiny.
The U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment prohibits government endorsement of religion, a foundational principle behind the concept of church-state separation. And in 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court already ruled against displaying the Ten Commandments in Kentucky schools.
