Federal Judge Partially Blocks Arkansas Ten Commandments Classroom Display Law

by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – A federal district judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of Arkansas’ new law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, calling it “plainly unconstitutional” and part of a broader effort to inject Christian doctrine into education.

Arkansas Act 573, signed earlier this year by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, mandates that each “elementary and secondary school library and classroom” prominently display a privately purchased or donated copy of the Ten Commandments. The measure is part of a trend in Republican-led states, including Texas and Louisiana, that have adopted similar requirements.

The law faced an immediate legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation on behalf of multi-faith families. They argued the law violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits government endorsement of religion.

Judge Cites Supreme Court Precedent

U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks, an Obama appointee, issued a preliminary injunction halting enforcement in four northwest Arkansas school districts. In his ruling, Brooks pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1980 decision in Stone v. Graham, which struck down a nearly identical Kentucky law.

“Forty-five years ago, the Supreme Court struck down a Ten Commandments law nearly identical to the one the Arkansas General Assembly passed earlier this year,” Brooks wrote. “That precedent remains binding on this Court and renders Arkansas Act 573 plainly unconstitutional.”

Brooks went further, speculating that Arkansas passed the measure as part of “a coordinated strategy among several states to inject Christian religious doctrine into public-school classrooms.”

Pushback From Supporters

Arkansas Family Council, a Focus on the Family-allied organization, blasted the judge’s speculation as an “unnecessary attack” on the legislature. They noted that Act 573 amends the state’s 2017 National Motto Display Act, which already allowed “In God We Trust” to be displayed in classrooms alongside the U.S. and Arkansas flags.

“Nothing in Act 573 suggests Arkansas’ elected lawmakers are part of a ‘coordinated strategy’ to inject Christianity in public schools,” the group said in a statement.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin defended the measure, arguing the Ten Commandments have “enormous historical significance” and are “one of the foundations of our legal system.” He said his office is reviewing the order and considering an appeal to the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Wider Legal Landscape

Arkansas is not alone in facing judicial resistance. Similar laws in Louisiana and Texas have drawn lawsuits, with Louisiana’s measure already blocked by a federal judge — a decision upheld by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Legal experts note that the Supreme Court has shown no inclination to revisit long-standing precedents limiting government-sponsored religious displays in schools.

Judge Brooks predicted that states would continue pressing the issue until “the Supreme Court puts its foot down.”

For now, Act 573 remains on hold in the affected Arkansas districts, while the broader constitutional battle over the role of religious symbols in public schools continues to play out in courts across the country.

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