A federal judge in Texas has blocked several school districts from displaying the Ten Commandments as obligated under Senate Bill 10.
“Displaying the Ten Commandments on the wall of a public-school classroom as set forth in S.B. 10 violates the Establishment Clause,” U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia wrote.
“It is impracticable, if not impossible, to prevent Plaintiffs from being subjected to unwelcome religious displays without enjoining Defendants from enforcing S.B. 10 across their districts,” the judge added. Officials in the affected school districts are to “remove any displays of the Ten Commandments presently erected in any classrooms” by December 1.
A similar ruling was issued by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery in August. “Even though the Ten Commandments would not be affirmatively taught, the captive audience of students likely would have questions, which teachers would feel compelled to answer,” Biery wrote in the decision. “There is also insufficient evidence of a broader tradition of using the Ten Commandments in public education, and there is no tradition of permanently displaying the Ten Commandments in public-school classrooms.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed lawsuits against school districts refusing to display the Ten Commandments. “By refusing to follow the law, Galveston ISD chose to both blatantly ignore the Legislature and also ignore the legal and moral heritage of our nation,” Paxton explained. Lawsuits have also been filed against Round Rock ISD and Leander ISD.
“These rogue ISD officials and board members blatantly disregarded the will of Texas voters who expect the legal and moral heritage of our state to be displayed in accordance with the law,” Paxton said of the newest lawsuit.
