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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas families sue to keep 10 Commandments out of classroom before new law takes effect
Arkansas families are suing to block the 10 Commandments from being displayed in public school classrooms as required by a new state law. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill into law in April requiring the Ten Commandments and the "national motto, 'In God We Trust'" to be "prominently" displayed on posters in Arkansas classrooms and public buildings. The school mandate takes effect in August. The posters, which must meet a certain size requirement, must be donated or funded through private donations, the law states. Schools are allowed to use public funds or donations to replace any noncompliant display with a compliant display. A coalition of multi-faith families argued in their legal challenge that the religious display requirement violates their religious freedom and parental rights. Supreme Court Likely To Side With Parents In Letting Them Opt Out Of Lgbtq Storybooks, Expert Says "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 lawsuit states. Read On The Fox News App "It also sends the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandments—or, more precisely, to the specific version of the Ten Commandments that Act 573 requires schools to display—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 lawsuit was filed on behalf of the families by the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. "As American Jews, my husband and I deeply value the ability to raise our children in our faith, without interference from the government," Plaintiff Samantha Stinson said in a press release. "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." Scotus Rulings This Term Could Strengthen Religious Rights Protections, Expert Says It names four school districts in northwest Arkansas — Fayetteville, Bentonville, Siloam Springs and Springdale — as defendants. The plaintiffs are asking for a preliminary injunction to pause the implementation of the law while the lawsuit is pending, according to the ACLU. Fayetteville Public Schools, Bentonville Schools and Siloam Springs School District told Fox News Digital they do not comment on pending litigation but "it appears after reviewing the court filing, that the lawsuit aims to challenge the constitutionality of a new Arkansas law that will take effect in August rather than challenging any action taken by [the school districts named in the lawsuit]." Springdale Schools did not immediately return a request for comment. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed a similar bill into law last year which has also faced legal challenges. A federal judge temporarily blocked the measure before it was to take effect in January, calling it "unconstitutional on its face." Louisiana defended the religious display in a federal appeals court in January. The Associated Press contributed to this article source: Arkansas families sue to keep 10 Commandments out of classroom before new law takes effect
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Arkansas families sue to keep 10 Commandments out of classroom before new law takes effect
Arkansas families are suing to block the 10 Commandments from being displayed in public school classrooms as required by a new state law. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill into law in April requiring the Ten Commandments and the 'national motto, 'In God We Trust'' to be 'prominently' displayed on posters in Arkansas classrooms and public buildings. Advertisement The school mandate takes effect in August. The posters, which must meet a certain size requirement, must be donated or funded through private donations, the law states. Schools are allowed to use public funds or donations to replace any noncompliant display with a compliant display. A coalition of multi-faith families argued in their legal challenge that the religious display requirement violates their religious freedom and parental rights. Advertisement '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 lawsuit states. 'It also sends the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandments—or, more precisely, to the specific version of the Ten Commandments that Act 573 requires schools to display—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.' 3 Families in the state of Arkansas have filed a lawsuit to prevent the display of the 10 Commandments in public schools across the state, citing a new law that is set to take effect. Getty Images The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the families by the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. Advertisement 'As American Jews, my husband and I deeply value the ability to raise our children in our faith, without interference from the government,' Plaintiff Samantha Stinson said in a press release. '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.' 3 The bill, which was signed by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, will take effect in August. AP It names four school districts in northwest Arkansas — Fayetteville, Bentonville, Siloam Springs and Springdale — as defendants. Advertisement The plaintiffs are asking for a preliminary injunction to pause the implementation of the law while the lawsuit is pending, according to the ACLU. Fayetteville Public Schools, Bentonville Schools and Siloam Springs School District told Fox News Digital they do not comment on pending litigation but 'it appears after reviewing the court filing, that the lawsuit aims to challenge the constitutionality of a new Arkansas law that will take effect in August rather than challenging any action taken by [the school districts named in the lawsuit].' 3 The families who filed the suit claim that the new law violates their religious freedom. AP Springdale Schools did not immediately return a request for comment. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed a similar bill into law last year which has also faced legal challenges. A federal judge temporarily blocked the measure before it was to take effect in January, calling it 'unconstitutional on its face.' Louisiana defended the religious display in a federal appeals court in January. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas parents file lawsuit over state law requiring Ten Commandments in schools
A 3D render of a closeup of the biblical Ten Commandments etched in a stone tablet, highlighting the ninth commandment. () Seven Arkansas families with children in public schools filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday to block the implementation of a new state law requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in classrooms. Northwest Arkansas parents and their minor children who identify as Jewish, Unitarian Universalist, Humanist, agnostic, atheist and nonreligious filed the complaint Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas against the Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville and Siloam Springs school districts. The plaintiffs are asking a judge to declare the law unconstitutional and are seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions to prevent the school districts from complying with the law, according to the complaint. Act 573 of 2025 requires that 'a durable poster or framed copy of a historical representation of the Ten Commandments' be 'prominently' displayed in public school classrooms and libraries, public institutions of higher education, and public buildings and facilities maintained by taxpayer funds. According to the law, posters shall be donated or purchased with funds through voluntary contributions to a local school board, building governing entity or the Building Authority Division. Posters that don't meet specifications required by the law may be replaced with public funds or private donations. In a statement, plaintiff Samantha Stinson said that as American Jews, she and her husband 'deeply value the ability to raise our children in our faith, without interference from the government.' Fellow plaintiff Carol Vella agreed, noting that her children are among a small number of Jewish students at their school. 'The classroom displays required by Act 573 will make them feel like they don't belong simply because they don't follow the government's favored religion,' she said. 'The displays will also violate core Jewish tenets, which emphasize tolerance and inclusion and prohibit evangelizing others.' The plaintiffs are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, with Simpson Thacher Barlett serving as pro bono counsel, according to a press release. The complaint alleges Act 573 violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, which guarantees that 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,' and its Free Exercise Clause, which guarantees that 'Congress shall make no law … prohibiting the free exercise [of religion].' 'As a result of the Ten Commandments displays mandated by Act 573, Arkansas students—including the minor-child Plaintiffs—will be unconstitutionally coerced into religious observance, veneration, and adoption of the state's favored religious scripture, and they will be pressured to suppress their personal religious beliefs and practices, especially in school, to avoid the potential disfavor, reproach, and/or disapproval of school officials and/or their peers,' the complaint states. By mandating a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments be displayed, 'Act 573 adopts an official position on religious matters, violating the Establishment Clause's prohibition against taking sides in questions over theological doctrine,' according to the complaint. In a statement, Americans United for Separation of Church and State President and CEO Rachel Laser said the Constitution's guarantee of the separation of church and state means families, not politicians, decide if and how public school children engage with religion. Federal judge considers letting Arkansas Supreme Court rule first on 10 Commandments monument case '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,' Laser said. Sen. Jim Dotson, R-Bentonville, and Rep. Alyssa Brown, R-Heber Springs, sponsored Act 573, but the merits of the legislation were largely presented in committee hearings by WallBuilders, a group 'emphasizing the moral, Christian, and constitutional foundation on which our nation was built,' according to its website. Supporters of the measure emphasized the Ten Commandments as a historical document, an argument rejected in Wednesday's complaint. 'This nation's core founding documents — the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights — were not based on the Ten Commandments, and there is no longstanding history or tradition of prominently and permanently displaying the Ten Commandments in public-school classrooms,' the complaint states. The complaint cites longstanding court precedent, including Stone v. Graham, a 1980 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Kentucky law mandating classroom displays of the Ten Commandments as unconstitutional. A federal district court ruled last year that a Louisiana law similar to Act 573 violates the First Amendment. Plaintiffs in that case, which is on appeal, are represented by the same counsel as the Arkansas lawsuit, according to the press release. Plaintiffs in the Arkansas case plan to file a motion for preliminary injunction, which will ask the court to issue an order temporarily preventing implementation of the law, set to take effect Aug. 5, while the lawsuit is pending, according to the release. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawsuit filed to halt Arkansas law putting 10 Commandments in classrooms
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A lawsuit filed on Wednesday seeks to halt the Arkansas law requiring the 10 Commandments in Arkansas classrooms. Act 573 of 2025 required the Commandment and the motto 'In God we trust' to be in each elementary and secondary school classroom. The bill received broad support in both chambers, with a 27-4 vote in the Senate and a 71-20 vote in the House. Ten Commandments, 'In God We Trust' in classrooms is now Arkansas law Funding for the displays must be acquired through private donations, as mandated by law, which also details the specific wording and size of the display. The law's requirements mean that students 'will be forcibly subjected to scriptural dictates, day in and day out,' the lawsuit states, adding that doing so violates the prohibition against public schools imposing religious doctrine. The law 'unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration, and adoption of the state's favored religious scripture,' the suit states. 'It also sends the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandments—or, more precisely, to the specific version of the Ten Commandments that Act 573 requires schools to display—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.' Central Arkansas schools prepare for laws going into effect next year The suit also notes that a similar law passed in Louisiana in 2024 was subsequently overturned. The suit was filed in the Western District of Arkansas on behalf of six northwest Arkansas families with school-aged children, as well as four northwest Arkansas school districts. The suit states that the families who are atheist, Jewish, Unitarian Universalists, Humanists, agnostic and a household led by an atheist who is a former Mormon are being forced to observe religious doctrine they do not subscribe to or wish to force on their children. The suit claims Act 573 violates the First Amendment's establishment and free exercise clauses. Plaintiffs request a preliminary injunction to prevent the law from taking effect before the court case is completed. Arkansas legislature bills filed Tuesday include changes to the Arkansas Constitution, water bonds, human trafficking, more Act 573 is scheduled to take effect on Aug. 5. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
