Texas AG Orders Most Schools to Display Ten Commandments Despite Court Injunctions

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has instructed public school districts statewide to comply with Senate Bill 10, requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every classroom starting September 1, 2025, despite a federal judge's injunction temporarily blocking the law in about eleven districts involved in ongoing litigation. Paxton criticized the injunction as an attempt by "woke radicals" to erase the nation's history and emphasized the Ten Commandments' historical and moral significance to America. The injunction was issued by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, who ruled the law unconstitutional, citing concerns that exposure to the Ten Commandments for students could be coercive and violate the separation of church and state. The affected districts include Alamo Heights, North East, Cypress Fairbanks, Lackland, Lake Travis, Fort Bend, Dripping Springs, Plano, Northside, Austin, and Houston ISDs, with Paxton's appeal pending. Advocates for the injunction, including the ACLU, argue that the law promotes a Protestant religious viewpoint and infringes on constitutional rights, while Paxton insists that districts not named in the lawsuit must enforce the law. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions in Texas between religious freedom claims and constitutional limits on government endorsement of religion in public schools.