The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Texas can enforce a law requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in public classrooms.
The 9-8 decision on April 21 reverses a lower court’s block, holding that the law does not violate the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state, as it does not constitute governmentmandated religious worship.
Texas law , SB 10, took effect in September 2025, marking the largest attempt in the nation to hang the Ten Commandments in public schools. About two dozen school districts had been barred from posting them after federal judges issued injunctions in two cases against the law but went up in many classrooms across the state as districts paid to have the posters printed themselves or accepted donations.
The New Orleans-based 5th Circuit ruled that the displays represent historical, rather than strictly religious, foundations of U.S. law, and is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The majority opinion stated that the law 'punishes no one who rejects the Ten Commandments, no matter the reason,' and does not force students to believe in or follow them.
This ruling strengthens similar initiatives in other states, notably a similar Louisiana law that the same court previously allowed to proceed.
The ruling immediately allows Texas school districts to continue posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms, with many districts already having installed them before this final appellate approval, and strengthens similar initiatives in other states, notably a Louisiana law that the same court previously allowed to proceed.
(See “Ten Commandments” continued on page 2) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called the ruling 'a major victory for Texas and our moral values.'
'The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it's important that students learn from them every single day,' Paxton said.
Critics argued that the law violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause by favoring religion. Organizations representing the families who challenged the law, including the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement that they were 'extremely disappointed' by the decision.
'The court's ruling goes against fundamental First Amendment principles and binding U.S. Supreme Court authority. The First Amendment safeguards the separation of church and state, and the freedom of families to choose how, when and if to provide their children with religious instruction. This decision tramples those rights,' the statement said.