The Brief
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the new Texas law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms
Advocates for and against the bill have spoken out
AG Ken Paxton plans to appeal the ruling
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas schools won't have to display Ten Commandments posters in their classrooms for now.
This follows the passage of Senate Bill 10 in the regular session.
What is Senate Bill 10?
The backstory
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the new Texas law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms.
Senate Bill 10 would require Ten Commandments posters to be displayed in public school classrooms across Texas if they are donated. The bill was signed by Governor Abbott in June.
On Wednesday, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction to block that law from going into effect.
It was supposed to go into effect on September 1.
"What this does is, it means that the parents and students, the plaintiff parents and the students and others in that school district don't have to worry about going to school and being indoctrinated with this specific version of the ten commandments. And it blocks that from happening, and we're obviously thrilled with the judge's ruling," said Tommy Buser-Clancy, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU Of Texas.
Pushback against Senate Bill 10
The other side
In July, a lawsuit was filed by 16 families, represented by several groups, and multiple faiths, including the ACLU of Texas.
They say the requirement violates the first amendment's protections for the separation of church and state and the right to free religious exercise.
They argue Senate Bill 10 isn't neutral with respect to religion and say students will be under religious doctrine in a "manner that conflicts with their families’ religious and non-religious beliefs and practices."
"Our public schools aren't Sunday schools, and it's very important that parents and children be able to make their own decisions about what religion to practice, if any. And the public schools are not the place to be for the state to be putting its thumb on that scale to be indoctrinating children with a specific chosen text like the ten commandments," said Buser-Clancy.
Some school districts in the state are named as defendants, including districts in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston.
Advocates for the bill speak out
Texas Values is a nonprofit which works at the Texas Capitol, advocating for the issues of faith, family, and freedom backing the legislation.
It says it's important to note the ruling only applies to nearly a dozen school districts named in the lawsuit.
"Whether a person is religious or not religious, it's really undeniable that concepts like prohibitions against theft and murder and honoring your father and your mother they have shaped the foundations of so many legal codes throughout history, but especially those in the United States," said Jonathan Covey, Policy Director, Texas Values
Supporters say the Ten Commandments should be displayed, claiming they are foundational to American judicial and educational systems, giving students the full picture of how legal and moral frameworks are developed.
"We think that having the Ten Commandments present in our educational institutions in a historical context helps students understand those ancient ideas about justice and right conduct and how all of our modern law was influenced by it," said Covey.
What's next
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he planned to appeal the ruling, calling it "flawed."
Whether there’s an appeal remains to be seen.
Dripping Springs ISD, Lake Travis ISD, and Austin ISD were all initially named in the lawsuit.
However, Austin ISD said it's no longer a part of this case. They released a statement:
"Austin ISD is no longer a party to this case. The agreed order of dismissal provides that the district will follow the court's final decision and any injunction that may be entered by the court."
The Source
Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Jenna King
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