Overview

• The law requires every public school classroom in Texas to feature a 16-inch-by-20-inch poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in a conspicuous location.
• On June 20 the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously struck down Louisiana’s nearly identical mandate as a violation of the Constitution’s Establishment Clause.
• The ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom From Religion Foundation have announced plans to file suit against the Texas measure as soon as it takes effect.
• Supporters, including Rep. Candy Noble, insist the display underscores the Ten Commandments’ role in shaping American legal and moral foundations.
• The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority could be called upon to uphold or overturn decades-old precedents barring religious texts in public school classrooms.