A Dallas activist group has sued to block the Ten Commandments from being displayed in Texas classrooms under a new law that is supposed to take effect on Sept. 1.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 10 on Saturday. Under the pending law, public schools must conspicuously display a 16-by-20-inch poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in every classroom with text that can be read by anyone inside the room who has average vision.
Related:Gov. Abbott signs Ten Commandments bill mandating displays in Texas classrooms
On Tuesday, the Next Generation Action Network Legal Advocacy Fund filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas targeting the pending law’s implementation. It argues that SB 10 violates the First Amendment and interferes with the rights of parents to lead their children’s religious education.
Political Points
“Our schools are not theocratic temples,” said a social media post by Dominique Alexander, a plaintiff in the lawsuit who is also the president and CEO of NGAN.
“Our pulpits must stay free of state mandates. Our children deserve education, not indoctrination.”
Other plaintiffs named in the suit include several Christian and Muslim parents as well as their minor children enrolled in the Dallas, DeSoto and Lancaster Independent School Districts.
The lawsuit lists these school districts and Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath as defendants.
In a statement to The Dallas Morning News, DeSoto ISD said it is “closely monitoring the legal proceedings and guidance” around SB 10.
“As a public school district, DeSoto ISD operates in alignment with all applicable district and state policies, and state and federal laws,” the statement said. “The district remains committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and supportive learning environment for all students and families, regardless of religious background or personal beliefs.”
The News didn’t immediately receive a response from TEA, Dallas ISD and Lancaster ISD Tuesday night.
Besides this effort, other rights groups have also threatened to sue as they called SB 10 “blatantly unconstitutional.”
Matt Krause, an attorney with First Liberty Institute, has previously expressed confidence to The News that the pending law would be upheld. He also compared the Ten Commandments to other historic U.S. documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Staff writer Nolan D. McCaskill contributed to this report.