A federal judge has struck down a Texas bill that aimed to mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. Judge Fred Biery issued a preliminary injunction on Wednesday, highlighting that the Republican-led legislature failed to provide a historical precedent justifying such a requirement. He stated, “This Court finds there is insufficient evidence of a broad tradition in place at the time of the Founding, and within the history of public education, to justify S.B. 10.”
The lawsuit emerged from families representing various religious backgrounds, alongside non-religious individuals, arguing that the Texas bill infringed upon their First Amendment rights by imposing a religious bias on students. This ruling follows a precedent set by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which declared a similar Louisiana law unconstitutional earlier this year. Biery recognized the weight of this previous ruling as part of his decision.
Biery observed that while the Texas bill claimed to have no religious intent, it was evident from lawmakers’ statements that the bill primarily aimed to promote a religious agenda. State Sen. Phil King, the bill’s lead sponsor, expressed this intent clearly: “We want every kid, [kindergarten] through twelve, every day, in every classroom… to look on the wall and read… those words.” King’s words reveal an objective that favored Christian teachings, prompting Biery to declare that the legislation “impermissibly takes sides on theological questions.”
This recent ruling adds to ongoing legal challenges surrounding the display of religious texts in schools. Earlier this month, a judge in Arkansas overturned another legislation seeking to mandate the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Historically, the Supreme Court has ruled against similar initiatives, dating back to the Stone v. Graham case in 1980, emphasizing that such displays lack a secular purpose.
With this decision, Judge Biery emphasizes the need for public school policies to remain neutral in matters of religion, safeguarding the diverse beliefs of students and their families. The complexity of this case underscores the broader national discussion about the intersection of education, religion, and constitutional rights.
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