A group of families in Texas is contesting a law, S.B. 10, enacted in 2025, which mandates public schools to display a state-selected Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in each classroom. This law follows a precedent set nearly 50 years ago when the Supreme Court invalidated a similar Kentucky law for violating the First Amendment. After an appellate court ruled that S.B. 10 does not breach the Constitution, the families, which include Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and nonreligious members, are petitioning the Supreme Court to review their case and halt the law's implementation. They argue that the First Amendment prohibits the imposition of religious scripture in public schools and affirms the rights of families to direct their children's religious education.
S.B. 10 requires that the displays be at least 16 by 20 inches and placed in a conspicuous location within classrooms, ensuring visibility for all students. The families filed a federal lawsuit, Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District, shortly after the law was signed, claiming that the law pressures children to adopt state-favored religious beliefs and infringes upon parental rights regarding religious instruction.
Initially, the district court ruled in favor of the families, stating that the law likely violates the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment. This ruling was supported by nearly 70 years of Supreme Court precedent, including a significant 1980 decision that struck down a similar law. However, in April 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed the district court's decision, allowing the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms. The families, along with others involved in a related lawsuit, Cribbs Ringer v. Comal Independent School District, submitted a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court in August 2026, requesting a review of the appellate court's decision and protection of their religious freedoms.