A federal judge has temporarily blocked Texas’ new requirement that every public-school classroom display a large, state-approved copy of the Ten Commandments — ruling that the law likely violates the U.S. Constitution.
The ruling pauses enforcement of Senate Bill 10, passed by the 89th Texas Legislature, which added Section 1.0041 to the Texas Education Code and ordered districts to place a “durable” 16″ × 20″ poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments “in a conspicuous place in each classroom.” The full bill text is available at:
https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/pdf/SB00010I.pdf
Supporters of the law argued it reflects Texas’ “moral and historical heritage,” with statements from lawmakers such as Rep. Candy Noble. Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office also issued guidance saying districts “not under injunction” must comply. That guidance is posted here:
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-instructs-texas-schools-display-ten-commandments-accordance-texas-law
Critics countered that the mandate is explicitly religious and violates the Establishment Clause, pointing to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1980 Stone v. Graham decision, which found that posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms without a defined secular purpose is unconstitutional.
On November 18, 2025, U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia issued a preliminary injunction ordering more than a dozen Texas school districts to remove Ten Commandments posters already in place and blocking new postings while the lawsuit continues. Reuters has details in its report: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/federal-judge-orders-texas-schools-defy-state-law-requiring-ten-commandment-2025-11-19/
Additional filings and statements from the ACLU of Texas are posted at:
https://www.aclutx.org/en/press-releases/judge-orders-texas-school-districts-remove-ten-commandments-displays-response-second
KHOU’s reporting on affected districts, including Conroe ISD, is available here:
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-ten-commandments-ruling-lawsuit-school-districts/285-f715f8f5-abb7-472d-a608-57620d789332
The injunction comes amid broader litigation involving the attorney general’s office and several districts on related issues. Reporting from KUT is here:
https://www.kut.org/education/2025-11-18/austin-tx-round-rock-leander-isd-ken-paxton-ten-commandments-lawsuit
Context and legal background
Supporters of SB 10 often frame the Ten Commandments as the backbone of “Western law,” but the overlap with actual American statutes is extremely limited. Of the traditional list, only murder, theft, and perjury correspond to modern criminal laws — and those existed in nearly every ancient legal system, long before the biblical text. Commands about worship practices, religious images, sabbath observance, honoring parents, and coveting have no legal parallel in the United States. And although the state-mandated poster includes a ban on adultery, adultery is not a crime in Texas. The Commandments function in the Bible as a religious covenant, not a blueprint for the U.S. legal system.
Why this matters
The Ten Commandments mandate has sparked debate over the distinction between teaching about religion versus directing students toward a specific religious tradition. Parents and civil-rights groups argue the requirement forces exposure to a sectarian text in public-school classrooms. Critics also note that the state-selected English translation reflects one branch of Christian tradition, even though Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant communities number and translate the Commandments differently.
Judge Garcia’s ruling does not permanently strike down the law, but it prevents the state from enforcing SB 10 while the case proceeds — a process that could extend to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court.
KETR will continue following developments as the legal case moves forward.
