Arkansas families suing to block Ten Commandments in public classrooms, libraries
Arkansas families suing to block Ten Commandments in public classrooms, libraries
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Texas lawmaker challenges Ten Commandments bill on the 'Sabbath'
A Texas state bill that would require public schools to post donated placards of the Ten Commandments created an "ironic" moment in debate.
Seven Arkansas families have filed a federal lawsuit to block a new law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms in the state, arguing that the law will infringe on their constitutional rights.
In the complaint, filed June 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, the families challenged an upcoming state law that requires the Ten Commandments to be "prominently" displayed in every public classroom and library. The law, which takes effect in August, was signed by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in April.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a multifaith group of families by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU), and the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). The defendants include four school districts — Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, and Siloam Springs — in northwest Arkansas.
Attorneys for the families, who are Jewish, Unitarian Universalist, or non-religious, said the law "violates longstanding U.S. Supreme Court precedent and the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment."
The attorneys are asking a federal judge to declare the state requirement unconstitutional. In addition to the complaint, the attorneys are planning to file a motion for a preliminary and permanent injunction to block the implementation of the law while the suit is pending.
"By imposing a Christian-centric translation of the Ten Commandments on our children for nearly every hour of every day of their public-school education, this law will infringe on our rights as parents and create an unwelcoming and religiously coercive school environment for our children," Samantha Stinson, one of the plaintiffs, said in a statement.
The lawsuit was publicly released by the AU on June 11 and viewed by USA TODAY. The Arkansas Attorney General's Office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on June 11.
Related: How the Supreme Court could still reshape religious liberty with decisions in two cases
Lawsuit: Ten Commandments law interferes with religious freedom
According to the complaint, the display of the Ten Commandments in public classrooms and libraries will interfere with parents' right to direct their children's religious education and upbringing. The lawsuit further argues that the state requirement will create a "religiously coercive" school environment for children.
Under the state law, each classroom and library will be required to post the Ten Commandments 'in a conspicuous place," the lawsuit states. The display of the text must be at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall and be printed in a "typeface that is legible to a person with average vision from anywhere in the room," according to the complaint.
The law also mandates that schools and libraries display a specific version of the Ten Commandments, which the suit states is associated with Protestant faiths and conflicts with the version followed by many Jews and Catholics.
"Permanently posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library—rendering them unavoidable—unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration, and adoption of the state's favored religious scripture," the complaint states.
"It also sends the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandments ... do not belong in their own school community and pressures them to refrain from expressing any faith practices or beliefs that are not aligned with the state's religious preferences," the complaint added.
It's not the first time. GOP leaders are calling for religion in public schools.
Republican-led states push for religion in public classrooms
Authorities in Republican-led states across the country have been pushing to spread religious teachings into public school classrooms, including incorporating the Bible into lessons and requiring schools to post state-selected versions of the Ten Commandments.
School administrators and civil rights advocates have expressed opposition to the mandates, saying they violate students' constitutional rights.
"Our Constitution's guarantee of church-state separation means that families – not politicians – get to decide if, when and how public-school children engage with religion," Rachel Laser, president and CEO of the AU, said in a statement on June 11.
"This law is part of the nationwide Christian Nationalist scheme to win favor for one set of religious views over all others and nonreligion — in a country that promises religious freedom. Not on our watch. We're proud to defend the religious freedom of Arkansas schoolchildren and their families," Laser continued.
The Arkansas law is similar to a Louisiana requirement that was signed in June 2024 by Gov. Jeff Landry. The Louisiana law was later blocked by a federal judge who declared it unconstitutional. The case, which is currently on appeal, is also being represented by the same counsel as the Arkansas lawsuit, attorneys said.
In November 2024, Texas officials proposed a curriculum that includes teachings from the Bible. The state legislature also recently passed a bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms. Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign the measure, which would take effect in September.
In July 2024, Oklahoma's top education official ordered public schools to teach the Bible, which large state school districts have largely ignored. Despite the state's Republican-controlled legislature's rejection of his $3 million request to fund the effort, state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters has insisted classrooms would all have Bibles by fall 2025.
Contributing: Murray Evans, The Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network
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