A Court of Appeals ruled in favor of allowing Texas to require public schools to display a Ten Commandments banner in classrooms.
The Louisiana-based Fifth Circuit Court ruled yesterday afternoon that the law with that requirement, passed by the state legislature last year, does not violate the principle of separation of church and state under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Division in court
#International | Court authorizes display of the Ten Commandments in Texas schools. More details⬇️https://t.co/tH5a2SJ8dG
– El Diario de Hoy (@EDHNoticias) April 22, 2026
In the ruling, the judges, who voted 9 in favor of the law and 8 against, held that the law does not coerce the religious practice of the plaintiffs.
Including civil rights organizations and 16 families in the state.
The rule, the court noted, “does not tell churches, synagogues or mosques what to believe or how to worship or whom to employ as priests, rabbis or imams.”
“He does not punish anyone who rejects the Ten Commandments, regardless of the reason.”
In the dissenting ruling, written by the justices who voted against allowing the law to go into effect, the justices said the rule violates “the most basic principles of the First Amendment.”
(Filed under: 10 Texas commandments in public schools)
Growing controversy
The Supreme Court, this paper noted, has long stressed “special concern for protecting freedom of conscience from subtle coercive pressures” in public schools.
In the face of classroom obligations that threaten to coerce students “to support or participate in religion.”
The plaintiffs, for their part, expressed their “extreme disappointment” with the ruling.
And they said they will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
These attempts to bring religion into public schools have been replicated in several states across the country.
In Louisiana, the same Court of Appeals in February of this year allowed a law to go into effect that also required the display of the ten commandments.
And other states such as South Carolina and Utah attempted to pass similar initiatives.
(Filed under: 10 Texas commandments in public schools)
Key Supreme Court ruling reopens debate
These measures began after a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in ‘Kennedy v. Bremerton (WA) School District’ offered a more flexible interpretation of the constitutional injunction barring state-sponsored religion.
The ruling handed a victory to Joe Kennedy, former Bremerton High School soccer coach.
By holding that a silent prayer by him in the middle of the school field after the games did not violate the Constitution.
The United States mandates in its Constitution “the separation of church and state.”
By stating that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free practice thereof”.
(Filed under: 10 Texas commandments in public schools)
With information from EFE
For more information, visit QuéOnnda.com
