Texas can require public schools to display the Ten Commandments
AP News • • general
Key Points:
- A U.S. appeals court ruled that Texas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, marking a significant win for conservatives advocating for more religious presence in schools.
- The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decided that Texas' law does not violate the First Amendment, which protects religious freedom and prohibits government establishment of religion.
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Governor Greg Abbott's office praised the ruling as a victory for moral values and tradition, while organizations like the ACLU expressed strong disappointment, citing concerns over church-state separation.
- The ruling reverses a previous district court injunction that blocked the display of the Ten Commandments in schools, allowing the law, effective since September 1, to be enforced across Texas.
- Similar laws in Louisiana and Arkansas have faced legal challenges, with the 5th Circuit also lifting a block on Louisiana’s law, while Arkansas’ law remains blocked by a federal judge.
