Federal Judge Orders Texas School Districts to Remove Ten Commandments Displays After Families Sue
Texas — The court is a federal court which has blocked the display of the Ten Commandments in some of the schools in Texas, requiring the districts to remove the posters by December 1, 2025. The decision also bars such districts to have such displays in future.
The injunction followed a lawsuit filed on September 22 by 15 families from religious and nonreligious backgrounds who challenged Texas law S.B.10, which mandated the display of the Ten Commandments in the classrooms of the public schools.
U.S. District Judge, Orlando L. Garcia concluded in his ruling that compelling schools to have religious scripture on their walls is a breach of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Garcia observed that a student should not be subjected in a scenario where they are forced to see religious messages that they do not want. He also clarified that the only feasible method of defending the constitutional rights of families is to stop the law enforcement on the affected districts.
The case—Cribbs Ringer v. Comal Independent School District faced the lawsuit soon after some districts began mounting the required posters, even though a previous federal court had already ruled on the issue. Judge Fred Biery had already ruled the law unconstitutional in another case, Rabbi Nathan v., on August 20. Alamo Heights ISD. After that decision, a number of civil rights groups threatened to sue every Texas district that proceeds with the displays.
Even though the new injunction only considers the districts directly mentioned, the groups behind the case claim that the message is clear, loud and simple: all Texas school districts must comply with the U.S. Constitution, which supersedes state law.
The families have legal representation in the ACLU of Texas, the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Religion and State and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, with Simpson Thacher and Bartlett LLP as pro bono counsel.
The ruling was received well by parents who were involved in the lawsuit. Lenee Bien-Willner, whose children are the only few Jewish students in their respective schools, added that the move will help the family to avoid unwanted religious influences. She pointed out that the debate on faith should be a matter of homes and religious groups- not a matter of the public-school classrooms.
The feeling was also echoed by representatives of the concerned organizations.
According to Chloe Kempf of the ACLU of Texas, the decision affirms that classrooms were the learning venues, and not religious advertising.
Daniel Mach, the director of the religious freedom program of the ACLU, further stated that the court upheld once again that schools should not foist religious doctrine on students.
Rachel Laser, the leader of Americans United, asked all the districts of Texas not to ignore the ruling and to not introduce S.B. 10 in any form.
Freedom From Religion Foundation director Sam Grover stated that Texas did not want to get its families into this position because the constitutional restrictions on the religious role in the schools is not new.
Simpson Thacher attorney Jon Youngwood, one of the most prominent attorneys, said the decision strongly reminds parents that they—not government institutions—decide when and how their children learn about faith.
