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Judge halts Texas law requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms
The law, passed earlier this year by the Republican-controlled Legislature, mirrors legislation in Louisiana and Arkansas that has also been halted in court.
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Pranavi Sharma - Fri, 22, Aug 2025
- 02:31 EDT
- 13
Stock image. / Shutterstock
A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked a state law that would have required the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom starting Sep.1.
The ruling, issued on Aug.20 by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of San Antonio, prevents the mandate from taking effect in at least 11 school districts, including Austin and Houston. Judge Biery, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, wrote that the law known as Senate Bill 10 “impermissibly takes sides on theological questions and officially favors Christian denominations over others.”
The law, passed earlier this year by the Republican-controlled Legislature, mirrors legislation in Louisiana and Arkansas that has also been halted in court. In June, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a decision declaring Louisiana’s version “plainly unconstitutional.” Earlier this month, a federal judge blocked a similar measure in Arkansas.
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF), which opposed the measure, called the injunction a “victory for religious freedom in Texas.” In a post on X, the group said, “A federal judge halted the law forcing the Ten Commandments into every public school classroom—a bill we and our TX constituents fought hard against. No child should feel pressured to adopt a state-favored religion.”
The law faced opposition from religious leaders even before it was signed. In March, a coalition of 166 Texas faith leaders urged legislators to reject the bill, arguing that religious education is the responsibility of families and faith institutions, not the government.
ALSO READ: Texas faith leaders oppose Ten Commandments display mandate in public schools
Lawsuit challenges Texas law mandating Ten Commandments in classrooms
In Texas, 16 families from diverse religious and non-religious backgrounds had also challenged the mandate, arguing that it violated the separation of church and state. They said the requirement would pressure students into adopting a state-approved religious text. The version of the Ten Commandments selected for display came from the King James Bible, which they noted excludes interpretations followed by other faiths.
Civil liberties groups including Americans United for Separation of Church and State also filed suit in July, saying the law imposes a religious viewpoint on Texas’s 5.5 million public school students. The plaintiffs include Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Unitarian Universalist, and non-religious families.
ALSO READ: Lawsuit challenges Texas law mandating Ten Commandments in classrooms
“The responsibility for religious education belongs to families, houses of worship, and other religious institutions, not the government,” the open letter stated. “The government oversteps its authority when it dictates an official state-approved version of any religious text.”
The preliminary injunction means all three states that passed Ten Commandments display laws—Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas—have now seen them blocked in at least some districts. Louisiana’s case remains before the Fifth Circuit, which also has jurisdiction over Texas, while Arkansas is in the Eighth Circuit. Any ruling from the Fifth Circuit could determine the outcome for both Texas and Louisiana unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes.
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