SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Nexstar) — A federal district court judge issued a preliminary injunction against Senate Bill 10, which was set to take effect on September 1 and require all public school classrooms in Texas to post the Ten Commandments somewhere visible.
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued the ruling Wednesday, siding with the group of families and faith leaders who brought the suit against multiple school districts. In his filing, Biery said SB 10 crosses the line from exposure to coercion.
“Ultimately, in matters of conscience, faith, beliefs and the soul, most people are Garbo-esque,” Biery wrote. “They just want to be left alone, neither proselytized nor ostracized, including what occurs to their children in government run schools.”
State Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, wrote the bill during the 89th regular legislative session. He argued the Ten Commandments would help students understand how the religious document shaped American history and culture.
“Few documents have had a bigger impact on western civilization than the Ten Commandments, said King in a text on July 2. “That’s why for 200 years the Ten Commandments was seen in classrooms.”
King had argued in his statement of intent that the law could survive a legal challenge under the US Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) 2022 ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District.
Plaintiffs in the suit released a statement following the ruling. One of the plaintiffs, Rabbi Mara Nathan, said in the release, “Children’s religious beliefs should be instilled by parents and faith communities, not politicians and public schools.”
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Comments