Faith leaders and families sue to block Texas’ new Ten Commandments in schools law

AUSTIN Texas AP A group of Dallas-area families and faith leaders have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a new Texas law that requires copies of the Ten Commandments be posted in every population school classroom The federal lawsuit filed Tuesday insists the measure is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of church and state Texas is the latest and largest state to attempt a mandate that has run into legal challenges elsewhere A federal appeals court on Friday blocked a similar law in Louisiana A few families have sued over Arkansas law The plaintiffs in the Texas lawsuit are a group of Christian and Nation of Islam faith leaders and families It names the Texas Schooling Agency state tuition Commissioner Mike Morath and three Dallas-area school districts as defendants The regime should govern the Church should minister the lawsuit stated Anything else is a threat to the soul of both our democracy and our faith Ten Commandments laws are among efforts mainly in conservative-led states to insert religion into inhabitants schools Supporters say the Ten Commandments are part of the foundation of the United States judicial and educational systems and should be displayed Texas Republican Gov Greg Abbott signed the Ten Commandments measure into law on June He also has enacted a measure requiring school districts to provide students and staff a daily voluntary period of prayer or time to read a religious text during school hours The Texas Instruction Agency did not right away respond to an emailed request for comment Abbott who was Texas attorney general in when he successfully argued before the U S Supreme Court to keep a Ten Commandments monument on the state Capitol grounds defended the state classrooms law in a social media post on Wednesday Faith and freedom are the foundation of our nation Abbott posted on X If anyone sues we ll win that battle Opponents say the Ten Commandments and prayer measures infringe on others religious freedom and more lawsuits are expected The American Civil Liberties Union Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom From Religion Foundation have revealed they will file lawsuits opposing the Ten Commandments measure Under the new law population schools must post in classrooms a -by- -inch -by- -centimeter or larger poster or framed copy of a specific English version of the commandments even though translations and interpretations vary across denominations faiths and languages and may differ in homes and houses of worship The lawsuit notes that Texas has nearly million students in about society schools including thousands of students of faiths that have little or no connection to the Ten Commandments or may have no faith at all The Texas Learning Agency did not promptly respond to an emailed request for comment The law takes effect Sept but largest part society school districts start the upcoming school year in August Source