5th Circuit Reviews Challenges to Ten Commandments School Displays in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas

Several Republican-controlled states, including Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, have passed laws requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, sparking legal battles over their constitutionality. These laws have been blocked by federal courts, which ruled they violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, reaffirming the long-standing precedent that government cannot promote a specific religion. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has appealed a ruling blocking similar legislation, arguing the courts should use a historical tradition test rather than the Lemon test to evaluate the law, citing recent Supreme Court decisions. Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union has warned school districts in these states that displaying the Ten Commandments would result in immediate legal action due to constitutional violations. The legal disputes are part of a coordinated effort by several states to challenge existing Supreme Court precedent and increase religious influence in public education, though federal judges have so far upheld rulings against such mandates. These controversies continue as appeals proceed and some state laws begin to take effect in districts not covered by injunctions.