A federal appeals court in the United States has ruled that the state of Texas can require the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, marking a significant legal victory for conservative groups advocating greater religious presence in education.
The decision, delivered Tuesday by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, upheld the constitutionality of Senate Bill 10 (SB10), a 2025 law mandating that the biblical text be posted in every classroom across the state.
In its 120-page ruling, the court held that the requirement does not impose a substantial burden on the religious freedoms of students or their families, nor does it violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits government endorsement of religion.
The case stemmed from legal challenges filed by families from diverse religious backgrounds, alongside civil rights advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union.
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Opponents argued that religious instruction should remain the responsibility of families and faith institutions, not public schools.
Reacting to the judgment, the ACLU expressed strong disagreement, stating that the ruling undermines long-standing principles of church-state separation and infringes on families’ rights to determine their children’s religious upbringing.
The decision overturns an earlier injunction issued by a lower court, which had blocked the law on the grounds that it appeared to favour Christianity over other religions.
Meanwhile, Ken Paxton welcomed the ruling, describing the Ten Commandments as foundational to the nation’s moral and legal traditions.
Legal analysts say the controversial case could ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court of the United States, as opponents have indicated plans to appeal the ruling.