Overview

• The complaint, filed Sept. 22 in San Antonio federal court, names 14 districts including Conroe, Fort Worth, Arlington, Frisco and McAllen ISDs.
• Fifteen families of Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Baha’i, humanist and nonreligious backgrounds are plaintiffs represented by the ACLU, Americans United, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Simpson Thacher.
• The suit asks for a declaratory ruling that SB 10 is unconstitutional and for temporary and permanent injunctions to stop districts from posting or keeping the mandated 16-by-20 Ten Commandments posters.
• The filing follows U.S. District Judge Fred Biery’s August injunction blocking 11 other districts, in which he wrote SB 10 likely violates the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses, and Attorney General Ken Paxton has appealed and urged non-enjoined districts to comply.
• Some districts moved to display or prepare the posters despite the earlier ruling, prompting the expanded challenge, and courts in Arkansas and Louisiana have also blocked similar laws.