Judge Blocks Texas Law Forcing Ten Commandments Displays in Schools

"The families come from a wide range of religious and non-religious backgrounds, including atheist, agnostic, Christian, Jewish, Baha'i, and Hindu. "It is impracticable, if not impossible, to prevent plaintiffs from being subjected to unwelcome religious displays" in Texas schools, Garcia elaborated, justifying his preliminary injunction blocking the placement of signs by saying the state's law likely violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution."

"The law, passed in June by the Republican state legislature and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R), requires 16 by 20-inch posters to be placed in every classroom of every public school in the state. It mirrors other recently passed laws in Louisiana and Arkansas, which have also seen legal challenges to their statutes, arguing along the same lines that the laws are unconstitutional violations of the separation between church and state."

A federal judge in Texas issued a preliminary injunction against state districts placing Ten Commandments signs in classrooms, finding the mandate likely violates the Establishment Clause. The injunction was narrowly defined to affect only the districts in the lawsuit. Fifteen families across 14 districts brought the suit; the families include atheist, agnostic, Christian, Jewish, Baha'i, and Hindu backgrounds and do not want their children pressured to observe or adopt the religious doctrine. The law, passed in June and signed by the governor, requires 16-by-20-inch posters in every public school classroom and mirrors laws in other states that face legal challenges.

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