Law requiring Ten Commandments to be visible inside schools blocked by court
A version of the Ten Commandments is posted, along with other historical documents, in a hallway of the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta. (Photo by John Bazemore/The Associated Press)
A law stipulating that the Ten Commandments be displayed inside the elementary and secondary classrooms and libraries of six Arkansas school districts was blocked by a district court Monday.
A parents’ group proved that Arkansas Act 573, signed in April 2025, infringes on their First Amendment rights, specifically the establishment and expression clauses. They argued that more than 470,000 students of varying faiths—including those with no religious allegiance—attend the public schools.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks of the Western District of Arkansas granted their motion for summary judgment, according to coverage by Bloomberg Law.
The school districts refuted that the plaintiffs had standing to sue because of the likelihood of injury from the number of visible Ten Commandment posters on display. Arkansas Act 573 unconstitutionally requires a state-approved version of the commandments that aligns with Protestant faiths and conflicts with other religions.
See also:
Change in establishment clause test doesn’t save Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law, 5th Circuit says
Ten Commandments displays should not be required in public school classrooms, ABA House says
Write a letter to the editor, share a story tip or update, or report an error.
