Federal Judge Blocks Texas Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Public Schools

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Texas law that would have mandated the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom across the state, ruling that the measure likely violates constitutional protections of religious freedom.

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of San Antonio issued the preliminary injunction on Wednesday, halting enforcement of Senate Bill 10 before it was scheduled to take effect on Sept. 1. The lawsuit challenging the law was filed by a coalition of Dallas-area families, clergy, and civil liberties advocates, who argued the mandate infringed on the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause.

Biery’s Ruling

In his 55-page opinion, Biery — a Clinton appointee known for colorful judicial writing — said that requiring schools to post the Ten Commandments could pressure students into “religious observance, meditation, and adoption of the State’s favored religious scripture.”

He warned that teachers might feel compelled to engage in unintended religious discussions, placing them in a difficult position in secular classrooms. Biery likened the law to a hypothetical ordinance in a Muslim-majority community mandating Quranic instruction, noting that the Constitution protects religious minorities from such impositions.

Quoting sources ranging from Stephen Hawking to the Bible, Biery concluded that SB 10 “crosses the line from exposure to coercion” and risks identifying non-Christian students as outsiders.

“For those who disagree with the Court’s decision and who would do so with threats, vulgarities, and violence,” Biery added in a closing note, “Grace and Peace unto you. May humankind of all faiths, beliefs, and non-beliefs be reconciled one to another. Amen.”

Broader Legal Context

The decision marks the third time in recent years a federal court has blocked a similar state-level requirement. Courts in Louisiana and Kentucky have struck down nearly identical laws. In his ruling, Biery cited the Supreme Court’s 1980 precedent in Stone v. Graham, which invalidated a Kentucky law mandating Ten Commandments displays in classrooms.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 10 into law in June, requiring every K-12 public classroom to post a framed 16-by-20-inch copy of the Ten Commandments. Supporters argued the measure honored America’s Judeo-Christian heritage. Critics countered that it violated parental rights and blurred the line between church and state.

What’s Next

The case is expected to be appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which struck down Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law earlier this summer. The case could ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court, where a 6-3 conservative majority may weigh in on how far states can go in promoting religious symbols in public schools.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to challenge Biery’s ruling, calling it “flawed” and insisting that “the Ten Commandments are a cornerstone of our nation’s moral and legal heritage.”

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