Judge Halts Texas’ Law Mandating Ten Commandments In School

A federal judge in Texas has temporarily stopped the implementation of a new state law that would have compelled public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery granted a preliminary injunction in the case of Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District, finding that Texas Senate Bill 10, which was scheduled to go into effect on September 1, likely conflicts with both the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.

The legal challenge was initiated in late June after Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 10 into law. Several families filed suit, arguing that the measure infringed on their rights to direct their children’s religious upbringing and effectively imposed state-sponsored religious practices in public education.

The injunction prevents school districts from enforcing the requirement, which would have mandated that all classrooms display a 16-by-20-inch poster or framed copy of a specific English version of the Ten Commandments.

In his ruling, Judge Biery stated that the mandate risks crossing constitutional boundaries by coercing students into religious observance and restricting their ability to express their own personal beliefs.

“[T]he 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,” Biery wrote.

The plaintiffs in the case represent a diverse group of families, including Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Unitarian Universalist, and nonreligious households with children enrolled in Texas public schools. Their legal team included the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and attorneys from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP who provided services pro bono.

Plaintiff Rabbi Mara Nathan praised the decision as a significant victory for parental rights, stating: “Children’s religious beliefs should be instilled by parents and faith communities, not politicians and public schools.”

Heather L. Weaver, senior counsel for the ACLU’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, said the ruling reinforces the principle of inclusivity in public education. “Public schools are not Sunday schools,” Weaver said.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton strongly criticized the ruling and vowed to challenge it in higher courts.

“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. 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,” Paxton declared in a statement.

{Matzav.com}