AUSTIN, Texas — A new Texas law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom has ignited a legal battle over religious freedom and constitutional rights. Senate Bill 10, signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 21, mandates that all public schools post a 16-by-20-inch English version of the Ten Commandments in a “conspicuous place” within each classroom. The law is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.
Supporters of the legislation, including Governor Abbott and Republican lawmakers, argue that the Ten Commandments are foundational to the nation’s legal and educational systems. They contend that displaying them in classrooms acknowledges their historical significance and promotes moral values among students.
However, the law has faced immediate opposition. A coalition of Dallas-area families and faith leaders, including Christians and members of the Nation of Islam, filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the mandate. The plaintiffs argue that the law violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause by promoting a specific religious doctrine in public schools, thereby infringing upon religious freedom and parental rights.
“The government should govern; the Church should minister,” the lawsuit states. “Anything else is a threat to the soul of both our democracy and our faith.”
The legal challenge names the Texas Education Agency, Education Commissioner Mike Morath, and three Dallas-area school districts as defendants. The plaintiffs assert that the law imposes religious views on students of diverse or no faith backgrounds, disregarding the religious diversity of the state’s nearly six million public school students.
This legal dispute in Texas follows a similar case in Louisiana, where a federal appeals court recently ruled that a law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms was unconstitutional. The court held that the Louisiana law violated the separation of church and state, a decision that could influence the outcome of the Texas case.
Governor Abbott, who previously defended the display of a Ten Commandments monument on the Texas State Capitol grounds in a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court case, has expressed confidence in the legality of the new law. “Faith and freedom are the foundation of our nation,” Abbott stated. “If anyone sues, we’ll win that battle.”
The Texas law is part of a broader trend among conservative-led states to incorporate religious elements into public education. Alongside Senate Bill 10, Governor Abbott also signed Senate Bill 11, which allows public and charter schools to implement periods of voluntary prayer or Bible readings during the school day, provided there is parental consent.
Critics argue that these measures blur the line between church and state and could lead to the marginalization of students who do not share the promoted religious beliefs. Civil liberties organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, have pledged to challenge the Texas law in court.
The outcome of the legal battle over Senate Bill 10 could have significant implications for the role of religion in public education, not only in Texas but across the United States. As the case progresses, it will test the boundaries of religious expression in public schools and the constitutional principle of the separation of church and state.
