Texas is doubling down on its cultural roots, defying a federal court to plaster the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Attorney General Ken Paxton’s bold move pits traditional values against progressive pushback, stirring a heated constitutional debate.
On June 10, 2025, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 10, mandating that every Texas public school classroom display the Ten Commandments starting September 1, 2025.
Breitbart reported that this law, aimed at reinforcing moral foundations, quickly sparked legal challenges from school districts wary of crossing constitutional lines.
Several districts sued, arguing the mandate violates the First Amendment’s ban on establishing religion. On August 20, 2025, Judge Fred Biery granted a preliminary injunction to 11 school districts, halting the law’s enforcement for them. Yet Paxton, undeterred, directed all other schools to comply.
Paxton Defends Historical Values
“From the beginning, the Ten Commandments have been irrevocably intertwined with America’s legal, moral, and historical heritage,” Paxton declared.
His stance frames the issue as a defense of the nation’s Judeo-Christian roots against secular erasure. But does heritage justify skirting a court order?
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas fired back, urging superintendents to ignore Senate Bill 10. “Because the U.S. Constitution supersedes state law, public school officials may not comply with S.B. 10,” the ACLU stated. Their letter, sent August 22, 2025, smells like a preemptive strike to chill compliance.
Paxton’s directive cleverly sidesteps the injunction, applying only to schools not covered by Judge Biery’s ruling. It’s a calculated gamble, betting that most districts will follow the state rather than risk legal battles. Yet the Constitution looms large, casting doubt on his strategy.
Judge Biery’s ruling emphasized the risk of religious entanglement in schools. “Even though the Ten Commandments would not be affirmatively taught, the captive audience of students likely would have questions, which teachers would feel compelled to answer,” he noted. His logic exposes the practical mess of mandating religious displays.
Biery didn’t stop there, adding a dash of wit to his ruling. “Teenage boys … might ask: ‘Mrs. Walker, I know about lying, and I love my parents, but how do I do adultery?” he quipped. The judge’s point: forcing teachers into awkward theological debates is a policy misfire.
The ACLU echoed Biery, stressing that all districts must respect constitutional rights, not just those under the injunction. Their August 22 letter warned superintendents against implementing the law, citing the First Amendment’s clear prohibition. It’s a reminder that federal law trumps state bravado.
Historical Precedent Looms Large
The U.S. Supreme Court already tackled this issue in 1980, striking down a Kentucky law mandating Ten Commandments displays in schools. That precedent suggests Texas’s law treads on thin constitutional ice. Paxton’s defiance may rally the base, but it risks a legal smackdown.
“The work of radicals seeking to erase our nation’s history will be defeated,” Paxton vowed, framing opponents as cultural vandals. His rhetoric resonates with those who see progressive activism as an assault on tradition. But passion alone doesn’t rewrite the Constitution.
The First Amendment explicitly states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
This clause, a cornerstone of American liberty, complicates Paxton’s crusade. Forcing religious displays in public schools flirts dangerously with “establishment.”
Supporters of Senate Bill 10 argue it honors the moral framework that shaped Western civilization. They see Paxton’s directive as a stand against a woke agenda that sanitizes history. But good intentions don’t erase the line between church and state.
Critics, meanwhile, warn of a so-called slippery slope toward theocracy. If Texas can mandate the Ten Commandments, what’s next—mandatory prayers or scripture readings? Of course, these same critics had nothing to say about progressive ideology being pushed in schools for years.
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Author: Benjamin Clark
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