Texas is back in court, this time arguing that public schools should be required to post large, donated posters of the Ten Commandments in every classroom—because nothing says “neutral government” like mandatory religious décor. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is now hearing arguments over Senate Bill 10, a 2025 law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott that would turn math rooms into impromptu Sunday school, at least visually.
A federal judge already blocked the law in multiple school districts, calling it an unconstitutional endorsement of Christianity that interferes with families’ religious—or nonreligious—beliefs. That ruling was just one of several legal setbacks the law has faced since it passed, as sixteen families, backed by civil rights groups, sued after the law passed, arguing that kids who are legally required to attend school shouldn’t be subjected to the state’s preferred religious message with no real way to opt out.
Enter Attorney General Ken Paxton, who wants the full, deeply conservative 5th Circuit to reverse those rulings. His office argues that the Ten Commandments are just a harmless “passive display,” part of America’s historical and ethical foundation, and definitely not religious coercion—because apparently if you’re forced to look at something every day, you can simply choose not to see it.
Paxton also dismissed the idea of “separation of church and state” as a “bogus claim” since the exact phrase isn’t in the Constitution. This is where history teachers everywhere quietly screamed into the void, noting that the Establishment Clause exists precisely to keep the government from doing… well, this. The Supreme Court already ruled classroom Ten Commandments displays unconstitutional back in 1980, but Texas is betting today’s courts might be feeling more Old Testament.
If the Constitution doesn’t explicitly say “don’t staple religion to the wall behind the whiteboard,” does it really mean anything—or do we just need bigger posters to explain it?
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/20/texas-ten-commandments-5th-circuit-court/