桃子视频

NASHVILLE, Tenn. 鈥� In letters sent yesterday to five school districts, the 桃子视频 of Tennessee, ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Freedom From Religion Foundation have requested all public records relating to the districts鈥� recently announced plans to display the Ten Commandments in schools. The records will shed light on the implementation of a new state law that authorizes local boards of education to post the Ten Commandments in a 鈥減rominent鈥� location in school buildings. Directed to Blount County School District, Rutherford County Schools, Washington County Schools, White County Schools, and Wilson County Schools, the letters seek all school-district emails and other communications, as well as all board documents, regarding the display of the Ten Commandments. The letters also request, pursuant to Tennessee鈥檚 Public Records Act, all proposed or approved display designs. The letters follow recent votes by the districts鈥� boards of education requiring their schools to post the religious rules. A Tennessee law enacted earlier this year, House Bill 47, provides that boards may 鈥渁llow鈥� schools to display the Ten Commandments in 鈥渁 prominent location.鈥� The statute defines 鈥減rominent location鈥� as a 鈥渟chool entryway, cafeteria, or common area where students are likely to see the display.鈥� Under the law, displays must include 鈥渢ext in a font size that is no smaller than [at] least twenty-six (26) point, and in a style and manner that is easy for students to see and read.鈥� The 桃子视频of Tennessee, ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following joint statement regarding the requests for public records: 鈥淔orcing biblical scripture on public-school children violates families鈥� religious freedom. Families and faith communities, not the government, get to decide what role religious doctrine and belief play in their lives. We are committed to protecting students鈥� and parents鈥� constitutional rights and are launching an investigation of every school district that foolishly accepts the state鈥檚 invitation to trample those rights. We urge families who will be affected by these religious displays to contact our organizations.鈥� The public records requests can be found online here.

WASHINGTON 鈥� 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鈥� and parents鈥� religious freedom by blocking Texas Senate Bill 10 (S.B. 10), ensuring that families 鈥� not politicians 鈥� 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 桃子视频 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. Today鈥檚 petition seeks review of lower court rulings in two separate but similar cases: Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District and Cribbs Ringer v. Comal Independent School District. Under S.B. 10, Texas public schools must permanently display a state-mandated version of the Ten Commandments, drawn from the Protestant King James Bible, in a 鈥渃onspicuous鈥� place in each classroom, from kindergarten through 12th grade. The families challenging S.B. 10 object to the law because the displays will pressure children to conform to the state鈥檚 favored religious beliefs and interfere with parents鈥� right to guide their children鈥檚 religious instruction. Today鈥檚 Supreme Court filing, a joint petition for a writ of certiorari in both cases, follows an April decision by the en banc U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit allowing the state-selected version of the Ten Commandments to go up in the plaintiffs鈥� classrooms. By a narrowly decided vote, the 5th Circuit ruled that S.B. 10 does not violate either the Establishment or Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment 鈥� despite a 1980 Supreme Court case striking down a nearly identical Kentucky law. 鈥淎s a rabbi and parent, forcing a Christian version of the Ten Commandments on children in every classroom is particularly upsetting,鈥� said plaintiff Rabbi Joshua Fixler (he/him) of Houston. 鈥淚 am not only worried about my own kids, but I鈥檓 deeply concerned about all the children in my congregation. These displays put children in the position of having to defend themselves and their families鈥� religious beliefs against a government mandate that makes them feel different and separate from their classmates.鈥� 鈥淭exas politicians shouldn鈥檛 have a seat at the table in deciding how our children receive their religious education. That decision belongs to our family,鈥� 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. 鈥淭his law puts one version of religious beliefs above all others in our public schools and sends a message to our children that what we teach them about religion at home is somehow wrong.鈥� 鈥淏y requiring displays of religious doctrine in every classroom, the state is interfering with our family鈥檚 decisions about how our children engage with religion,鈥� said plaintiff Nichole Manning (she/her), a Dallas-area atheist who is raising her children in a nonreligious tradition that gives them the space and autonomy to develop their own beliefs about religion. 鈥淎s a parent, I intentionally choose to have my children attend public school because I prefer an educational environment without any religious affiliation. In a diverse public school environment, all students should be treated with equal respect, regardless of their religious beliefs, or lack thereof.鈥� 鈥淭he U.S. Supreme Court has rejected this kind of government-imposed religion before, and it should do so again,鈥� said Chloe Kempf (she/her), attorney at the 桃子视频of Texas. 鈥淗aving these posters in Texas classrooms puts students at risk of bullying, stigmatization, and religious coercion. Our nation鈥檚 bedrock principle of separating church and state means that families and faith communities 鈥� not politicians 鈥� get to decide what role religion plays in children鈥檚 lives. Texas students deserve public schools that welcome them for who they are, respect their religious or nonreligious backgrounds, and give them the high-quality education they need to build their futures.鈥� 鈥淔ifty years ago, the 桃子视频won a Supreme Court victory against a nearly identical Kentucky law 鈥� and we aim to do it again,鈥� said Cecillia Wang (she/her), national legal director of the ACLU. 鈥淚n our country, no legislature can force its preferred scripture on public school students and families.鈥� 鈥淔amilies 鈥� not politicians or public school officials 鈥� get to decide how, if, and when children engage with religion,鈥� said Rachel Laser (she/her), president and CEO of Americans United. 鈥淲e urge the Supreme Court to make clear that these Ten Commandments mandates violate students鈥� and families鈥� religious freedom as promised by the U.S. Constitution. With ever more states attempting to force one version of religion into public school classrooms, our nation must recommit to our foundational promise of church-state separation, the lynchpin of religious liberty.鈥� 鈥淭his 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,鈥� said Jon Youngwood (he/him), global co-chair of the litigation department at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. 鈥淭he First Amendment has long protected the freedom of individuals to determine for themselves how they engage with spirituality and religion. Those protections are especially important in the public-school setting.鈥� 鈥淭he First Commandment, dictating which god must be worshipped, is the antithesis of our First Amendment,鈥� says Annie Laurie Gaylor (she/her), co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. 鈥淚t is not the government鈥檚 role to daily expose young children to a coercive display of one religion鈥檚 set of religious edicts in our public schools. Our public schools exist to educate, not to proselytize.鈥� The Lowe and Fixler families share more about how they will be impacted by these Ten Commandments displays and why they oppose them in newly released, heartfelt videos that can be viewed here; transcripts are available here.

A group of Texas families are challenging a 2025 Texas law, S.B. 10, that requires public schools to conspicuously display a state-selected, Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom. Nearly 50 years ago, the Supreme Court overturned a similar Kentucky law because it violated the First Amendment. After an appellate court ruled that S.B. 10 does not violate the Constitution, the Baha鈥檌, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and nonreligious families involved in the lawsuit are asking the Supreme Court to hear their case and to block the law. The First Amendment prohibits states from forcing scripture on public-school students, and it guarantees families 鈥� not politicians or the government 鈥攖he right to guide children鈥檚 religious belief and education.

A group of Texas families are challenging a 2025 Texas law, S.B. 10, that requires public schools to conspicuously display a state-selected, Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom. Nearly 50 years ago, the Supreme Court overturned a similar Kentucky law because it violated the First Amendment. After an appellate court ruled that S.B. 10 does not violate the Constitution, the Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and nonreligious families involved in the lawsuit are asking the Supreme Court to hear their case and to block the law. The First Amendment prohibits states from forcing scripture on public-school students, and it guarantees families 鈥� not politicians or the government 鈥� the right to guide children鈥檚 religious belief and education.