Texas is undertaking the nation’s largest attempt to hang the Ten Commandments in public schools, and in the rush to navigate the Republican-led mandate that took effect in September, the rollout has forced some districts to confront hard choices. Read more here.
1. What does the new Texas law require schools to do?
The law, which took effect in September, requires Texas public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms if posters are donated. The displays must be placed “in a conspicuous place” and be 16 inches wide by 20 inches tall, with text large enough to be read from anywhere in the classroom by someone with average vision.
2. Why are some teachers and educators resigning over this law?
High school theater teacher Gigi Cervantes resigned because she felt the law forced her to impose religious doctrine on her students, which she believed violated their First Amendment rights. Band director Johnnie Cotton also resigned, stating on Facebook that he believed “very strongly that politics and religion have no place in the public schools.”
3. What legal challenges is the law facing?
SEE ALSO: The Ten Commandments are up in Texas schools. They’re also being taken down
Federal courts have ordered more than two dozen of Texas’ nearly 1,200 school districts not to hang the posters, with a judge ruling on Tuesday that the mandate violates First Amendment protections of religious liberty and prohibits government establishment of religion. Similar laws in Arkansas and Louisiana have also been struck down by courts, and the issue is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
4. How are different school districts responding to the law?
Responses vary widely across Texas. Some districts, like Frisco, spent about $1,800 to print nearly 5,000 posters even before receiving donations, while others, like Galveston, voted not to post the commandments until courts decide the law’s constitutionality. The Hays district posted copies of the Bill of Rights alongside the Ten Commandments, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued districts he claims are not complying.
5. What concerns have students and families expressed about the displays?
When the commandments were posted at 16-year-old Madison Creed’s high school, it became the “buzz of the school” as students debated the issue, and she said, “A lot of us don’t agree with it, but there is the other portion of the school that does.” Teacher Rachel Preston said she and colleagues are “worried specifically about students who don’t identify as Christian feeling unease at the very least at the presence of this in our classrooms.” Even parent Tiffany Meadows, a Christian herself, said she was “worried about students of other religions” because “these are public schools, these aren’t Christian schools.”
Read more: The Ten Commandments are up in Texas schools. They’re also being taken down.
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The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
