A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, ruled that Texas can require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. This decision marks a victory for proponents seeking to introduce religious elements into educational settings and reverses a previous district court judgment. The ruling comes after the full court heard arguments in January, considering both the Texas case and a similar one originating in Louisiana.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Texas law does not violate the First Amendment, which guards against government establishment of religion and protects religious freedom. This development signals a potential shift in how courts interpret long-standing precedents concerning religion's place in schools.
Opponents, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other advocacy groups representing parents, have stated their intention to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. They argue that such mandates infringe on religious freedom and can pressure students into specific religious observances. Previous legal challenges, such as one in August 2025, had temporarily blocked similar requirements in select Texas districts, with a judge citing concerns about coercion and the potential for ostracization of students with different beliefs.
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The Texas law, which took effect in September, is part of a broader trend in conservative-led states to incorporate religious teachings into public education. Louisiana was the first state to pass a similar mandate, which a separate panel of appellate judges ruled unconstitutional in June 2025. A lawsuit naming several Dallas-area districts and state education officials is still pending.
Federal courts had previously blocked mandated Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms in Texas, citing constitutional violations. Some judges noted that these displays could pressure children into religious observance and noted the potential for cruelty toward students who do not adhere to the displayed tenets. The specific wording and interpretation of the Ten Commandments have also been noted as varying across denominations, faiths, and languages.
