Full Breakdown
Texas Judge Orders Ten Commandments Posters in Galveston Classrooms Amid Ongoing Legal Fight
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Court Order and Immediate Impact
District Judge Jeth Jones ruled that the Galveston Independent School District must post Ten Commandments posters in every classroom within ten days and scheduled a non-jury trial for next June. The decision follows a lawsuit filed by the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, after the school board voted against the display. Galveston’s school board president said the district will comply with the order.
Legislative Background and Recent Appellate Ruling
The mandate stems from Senate Bill 10, signed by Governor Greg Abbott in June 2025, which requires “conspicuous” display of the Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in public-school classrooms. After a district-court injunction blocked the displays in July 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that ruling in April 2026, holding that the law does not violate the First Amendment’s free-exercise clause and does not constitute an establishment of religion.
Nationwide Legal Challenges
A coalition of families—led by senior rabbi Mara Nathan of Temple Beth-El in San Antonio and associate rabbi Joshua Fixler of Congregation Emanu El in Houston—filed a federal suit in July 2025 and later petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the law infringes on religious freedom and conflicts with the 1980 Stone v. Graham decision. Their representation includes the ACLU of Texas, the national ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, with pro bono counsel from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.
Official Statements and Government Position
Attorney General Paxton asserted that there is “no valid legal basis” to prevent schools from complying and claimed the Constitution contains no “separation of church and state” phrase.