On August 20, 2025, a federal judge in San Antonio issued an order granting a preliminary injunction against Texas Senate Bill 10, a law requiring public schools to display a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom .
The case, brought by parents and religious leaders of various faiths, challenged the statute under the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. The plaintiffs argued the mandate coerced children into exposure to state-sponsored religious doctrine, marginalizing students whose families do not share those beliefs .
The ruling closely followed the Fifth Circuit’s decision earlier this year in Roake v. Brumley, which struck down a similar Louisiana law requiring Ten Commandments displays. The Texas order also referenced a recent Arkansas case, Stinson v. Fayetteville School District, where a preliminary injunction was issued against a nearly identical statute .
In its analysis, the Texas court noted the Supreme Court’s long-standing precedent in Stone v. Graham (1980), which held that posting the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms had no secular legislative purpose and violated the Establishment Clause. The judge emphasized that because Texas’ law was materially similar to the Louisiana statute already struck down, the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their claims .
The court also rejected the school districts’ motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, holding that plaintiffs had standing and that their claims were ripe for review, given the statute’s requirement that displays be installed in all classrooms by September 1, 2025 .
The ruling means that Texas public schools will not be permitted to post the mandated displays while the case proceeds. The state is expected to appeal to the Fifth Circuit, which is already considering a rehearing en banc in the Louisiana case.
Link to ruling: https://www.au.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/78_Order_granting_Pl_August_20_2025.pdf