Federal Judge Blocks Texas Bill on Ten Commandments in Classrooms
On Wednesday, a federal judge halted a Texas measure that mandated the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.
Judge Fred Biery issued a preliminary injunction, noting that the Republican-led Congress failed to provide evidence supporting a tradition of posting the Ten Commandments in public educational settings.
“The court has found that there is insufficient evidence of various traditions at its establishment and in the history of public education to justify SB 10,” Biery stated.
Appointed by Clinton, Biery remarked that the law does not maintain a neutral stance regarding religious matters, as it “unacceptably sides with certain theological views, favoring Christian sects over others.”
Multiple religious families, along with secular plaintiffs, filed lawsuits claiming the Texas bill imposed religious preferences on students, violating the First Amendment.
This legal challenge comes after the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in June that comparable laws in Louisiana were unconstitutional. Biery referenced that decision in his ruling. Just this month, an Arkansas judge invalidated another bill relating to the Ten Commandments in public schools.
Historically, the Supreme Court stated in a 1980 ruling that public schools cannot endorse religious texts in classrooms. This perspective was highlighted in connection with a Kentucky law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools.
Biery noted that while the language of the Texas law seemingly negates religious intent, lawmakers have made their intentions clear. He cited comments from various state legislators, including the primary Senate sponsor of the bill, who expressed a desire for every student to see “those words… God’s statement” in their classrooms to convey that “God’s rules are watching them.”
Such statements, according to Biery, illustrate that lawmakers had predominantly religious objectives when advocating for the bill.
The sponsor of the bill indicated in a statement that it sought to present religious guidance on school walls, deeming it vital to history.
“With the legal landscape altered, it’s time for Texas to pass SB 10 and restore our nation’s history and traditions, including the Ten Commandments,” the lawmaker asserted.
