A new Texas law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in every public school classroom is drawing both praise and legal challenges as districts across the state begin preparing for the mandate, set to take effect Sept. 1.
Senate Bill 10, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in June, mandates that all K-12 public classrooms display a poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments measuring at least 16 by 20 inches. The posters must use the exact English text of the biblical commandments and be visible from anywhere in the room.
Supporters of the law, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and advocacy groups like Texas Values and the First Liberty Institute, argue the display promotes the moral foundation of American law and history.
“The Ten Commandments are a cornerstone of our legal and cultural heritage,” said state Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, who authored the bill. “This law simply restores a tradition that has guided generations of Americans.”
Under the law, schools are not required to purchase the posters with public funds but must accept donated copies from private organizations or individuals. Some districts, including several in Montgomery County north of Houston, have already begun receiving posters from local nonprofits and churches.
Organizations such as Love Heals Youth and local Republican women’s clubs have raised funds to produce and distribute the posters, often at $10 each. Leftover funds are being used to donate Bibles to students, according to organizers.
However, critics say the law amounts to religious coercion and violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Multiple lawsuits have been filed, including one by interfaith families and clergy in North Texas and another in the Eastern District of Texas involving Jewish, Hindu, and other non-Christian families.
“It’s not the government’s role to impose religious doctrine on children in public schools,” said David Donatti, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Texas, one of several groups challenging the law. “This law violates decades of Supreme Court precedent.”
Opponents point to the 1980 Stone v. Graham decision, in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar Kentucky law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public schools.
Districts across Texas are now caught in the middle. Some school boards, including those in Southeast Texas and Central Texas, are proceeding cautiously while seeking legal guidance from the Texas Association of School Boards.
The outcome of the lawsuits could ultimately be decided by the conservative-leaning U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit — and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court — setting the stage for a high-profile church-state showdown ahead of the 2025–26 school year.
“This isn’t just about posters,” said Rabbi David Lyon of Congregation Beth Israel in Houston, a plaintiff in one of the cases. “It’s about whether religious liberty is truly respected for all Texans — or just for some.”