A federal judge rules the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in Texas public schools, despite a new law requiring it.
SAN ANTONIO — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Ten Commandments do not belong in Texas public schools.
This ruling is part of a lawsuit filed by parents and families from eleven districts across Texas – four from San Antonio.
Senate Bill 10, which requires school districts to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, will still go into effect on September 1.
When that bill takes effect, these 11 districts won’t display the Ten Commandments in classrooms – and the ACLU urges all other Texas ISDs to do the same.
But the fight isn’t over – Ken Paxton says he plans to appeal the decision.
It was a fight to uphold the separation of church and state and protect the First Amendment for attorney Jonathan Youngwood, who represented the families opposing Senate Bill 10.
“For each of our plaintiffs, they know that their children will be able to attend school this year without the threat of the Ten Commandments being placed in their children’s classrooms,” Youngwood said.
Eleven districts, including Northside, Northeast, Alamo Heights, and Lackland ISD cannot display the Ten Commandments in their classrooms come Sept. 1.
“They have very strong religious beliefs, but they want to be the ones to instill those into their children, not through the public school system,” Youngwood said.
But for those in favor of the commandments being displayed, the fight isn’t over.
“I feel confident about the outcome of this case on appeal because most US Supreme Court cases and 5th circuit victories start with a lower case decision that is bad, especially when it comes to protecting religious freedoms,” Attorney for Texas Values, Jonathan Saenz, said.
The attorney general sent KENS 5 this statement:
“The Ten Commandments are a cornerstone of our moral and legal heritage, and their presence in classrooms serves as a reminder of the values that guide responsible citizenship. Texas will always defend our right to uphold the foundational principles that have built this nation, and I will absolutely be appealing this flawed decision.”
For the American Civil Liberties Union, staff attorney Tommy Buser-Clancy said right now they are focused on the win.
“It’s important that this decision underscores that this decision was unconstitutional,” Buser-Clancy added.
Alamo Heights and Northside ISD responded to us with no comment.
North East and Lackland ISDs said they will follow the latest ruling and comply with the injunction.