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21h ago

Texas Appeals After Judge Blocks Ten Commandments Classroom Mandate for 11 School Districts

Appellate review looms after the court said the state-selected text would coerce a captive student audience, favoring certain Christian denominations.

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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 granted a preliminary injunction pausing S.B. 10 for the 11 defendant districts, including Houston, Austin, and Plano ISDs.
  • His opinion found insufficient historical tradition to justify permanent classroom displays and cited Stone v. Graham and a recent Fifth Circuit ruling against Louisiana’s similar law.
  • The statute, signed in June, requires a 16-by-20 poster featuring a prescribed version of the Ten Commandments in every public-school classroom starting September 1.
  • Multifaith and nonreligious families represented by Americans United, the ACLU, the ACLU of Texas, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation argue the mandate violates First Amendment protections.
  • Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an appeal on behalf of several districts, calling the decision flawed and pledging to defend the law.