Texas Families Urge U.S. Supreme Court To Hear Challenge to Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Public School Classrooms

WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than two dozen Texas families are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their challenge to a state law that requires public schools to post a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom. The request, filed today, urges the court to protect students' and parents' religious freedom by blocking Texas Senate Bill 10, ensuring that families — not politicians — have the right to decide what role religion plays in their lives.

The Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Baha'i, Unitarian Universalist, and nonreligious families challenging the Texas law attend 22 school districts across the state and are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP serving as pro bono counsel.

These displays put children in the position of having to defend themselves and their families' religious beliefs against a government mandate that makes them feel different and separate from their classmates.

"That decision belongs to our family," said plaintiffs Rebekah (she/her) and Ted Lowe (he/him), an Austin-based interfaith couple who are raising their children in the Christian and Jewish traditions.

"The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected this kind of government-imposed religion before, and it should do so again," said Chloe Kempf (she/her), staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas.

"We urge the Supreme Court to make clear that these Ten Commandments mandates violate students' and families' religious freedom as promised by the U.S. Constitution."

"This case concerns decisions about personal belief and religious instruction, and whether under our Constitution they remain with families and faith communities or are commandeered by the state," said Jon Youngwood (he/him), global co-chair of the Litigation Department at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.