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6h ago

Federal Judge Blocks Texas Ten Commandments Mandate in 11 School Districts

The ruling says the mandated displays likely coerce students toward a state‑favored scripture, setting up a fast‑track appeal before the law’s Sept. 1 start date.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Texas Republican Party Convention in San Antonio on May 23, 2024. Paxton's office has appealed a federal court's ruling that blocks enforcement of a new state law that requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in Texas public schools. 
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Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued a preliminary injunction that bars 11 named districts, including Houston, Austin and Plano ISDs, from posting the Ten Commandments while the case proceeds.
  • Texas S.B. 10 requires a specific Ten Commandments text to be displayed in every public‑school classroom, and districts not named in the suit remain subject to the law absent further court orders.
  • Biery found the mandate likely violates the First Amendment by favoring certain Christian denominations and creating coercive pressure on a captive audience of students.
  • The opinion, spanning 55 pages, weighed expert testimony and concluded there is insufficient historical tradition to justify permanent classroom displays under the Supreme Court’s recent guidance.
  • Sixteen multifaith families represented by Americans United, the ACLU, the ACLU of Texas and the Freedom From Religion Foundation brought the suit, and Attorney General Ken Paxton said he will appeal.