Fifth Circuit Court upholds Texas law requiring Ten Commandments in public school classrooms

A federal appeals court has permitted Texas to mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its 120-page ruling from New Orleans on Tuesday, determining that Senate Bill 10 does not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton hailed the decision as a triumph for state authority and moral principles. Legal opposition to the law was mounted by the American Civil Liberties Union, Texas school officials, and families representing various faiths. These plaintiffs argued the statute infringes upon parental rights to guide religious education and contravenes Supreme Court precedent on church-state separation. The court found the plaintiffs did not demonstrate the law imposes a substantial burden on free exercise rights or coerces student consciences. The ACLU expressed profound disappointment, stating the ruling undermines fundamental constitutional protections. The legal dispute originated after the Texas legislature passed SB10, which requires the biblical text be posted in every classroom.