Texas Families Sue to Block Law Mandating Ten Commandments in Public School Classrooms
TEXAS – A coalition of 16 families from diverse religious and nonreligious backgrounds has filed a federal lawsuit against multiple Texas school districts in an effort to block a controversial new law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, the lawsuit targets Senate Bill 10, which requires a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments to be prominently posted in classrooms across the state beginning this school year.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the plaintiffs include clergy members, parents, and students from a variety of faith traditions. Defendants include Plano ISD and ten other school districts.
Lawsuit Alleges First Amendment Violations
The suit argues that SB 10 violates the First Amendment, particularly protections around religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
“Under this precedent, permanently posting the Ten Commandments in every Texas public-school classroom — rendering them unavoidable — is plainly unconstitutional,” the complaint reads, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling in Stone v. Graham that struck down a similar law in Kentucky in 1980.
The plaintiffs assert that such displays would pressure students into religious observance and force families to contend with state-endorsed religious doctrine — even if it contradicts their own beliefs.
Faith Leaders Speak Out Against State-Imposed Scripture
Several plaintiffs, including Rabbi Mara Nathan and Pastor Griff Martin, voiced concerns that the bill imposes a specific version of religious doctrine that doesn’t reflect their faiths.
“As a rabbi and public school parent, I am deeply concerned that SB 10 will impose another faith’s scripture on students for nearly every hour of the school day,” Rabbi Nathan said.
Pastor Martin, who is Baptist, added: “SB 10 undermines the separation of church and state… My children’s faith should be shaped by family and our religious community, not by a Christian nationalist movement.”
State Leaders Defend the Law
Supporters of the law, including Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, have promoted SB 10 as a way to reintroduce moral values into public education. Patrick was quoted saying that students “are going to see the Ten Commandments, and they are going to know about God.”
However, critics say that there is no historical precedent for such displays in American classrooms and note that none of the founding documents — the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, or Bill of Rights — are based on the Ten Commandments.
ACLU Pushes Back on Religious Coercion
Adriana Piñon, legal director for the ACLU of Texas, emphasized the broader stakes for public education.
“Politicians don’t get to dictate how or whether students practice religion,” she said. “We’re bringing this lawsuit to ensure that all students, regardless of their faith or nonreligious beliefs, feel accepted and free to be themselves in Texas public schools.”
The full complaint is publicly available through the ACLU of Texas.
Should religious texts be displayed in public classrooms? Or does this cross the line into state-endorsed faith? Join the discussion now at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
