ACLU Suit Targets 14 Districts Over Ten Commandments

On Sept. 22 in San Antonio, a coalition led by the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of 15 multifaith and nonreligious Texas families seeking to block 14 school districts — including Comal, Fort Worth, Arlington, Conroe and Flour Bluff — from implementing Senate Bill 10, authored by Republican Sen. Phil King and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, which requires donated posters of a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public classroom. The plaintiffs asked for a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief, arguing SB10 violates the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment, coerces students into religious observance and privileges Christianity. The filing follows an August ruling by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery that found SB10 “plainly unconstitutional” and issued a preliminary injunction blocking implementation in 11 districts; that decision is being appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Plaintiffs say many districts have nevertheless posted or signaled intent to post the displays after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton urged compliance, prompting this extension of the earlier challenge. They seek a declaratory judgment and a permanent injunction to prevent enforcement of SB10 in the named districts and to protect students’ religious freedom and inclusion in public schools.