A group of faith leaders and parents from North Texas this week sued to stop a new state law that will require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, arguing it violates their First Amendment and parental rights.
The plaintiffs filed the suit Tuesday in a Dallas federal court on behalf of their 10 children who attend schools in the Dallas, DeSoto and Lancaster Independent School Districts, whose boards are all named as defendants.
The suit challenges one of the latest measures that state lawmakers have passed that critics say inject religion into the state’s public schools, attended by roughly 5.5 million children.
Senate Bill 10, by Republican Sen. Phil King of Weatherford, would require the Ten Commandments be displayed on a poster sized at least 16 by 20 inches come September when most new state laws go into effect. Gov. Greg Abbott signed it last week.
Supporters argue that the Ten Commandments and teachings of Christianity broadly are vital to understanding U.S. history — which some scholars say is incorrect.
In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs who identify as Christian described a variety of specific reasons for their opposition to hanging the Ten Commandments in their kids’ schools but generally characterized not wanting to cede any rights as parents.
One of them, a Christian minister, said that the displays will conflict with the religious and social justice and civil rights beliefs he seeks to teach his kids by offering a message of religious intolerance, “implying that anyone who does not believe in the state’s official religious scripture is an outsider and not fully part of the community.”
Another, a mother of two, is worried she will be “forced” to have sensitive and perhaps premature conversations about topics like adultery with her young children — and also “does not desire that her minor children to be instructed by their school about the biblical conception of adultery,” the suit states.
Spokespersons for the Texas Education Agency, also a named defendant, did not respond Thursday to requests for comment.
A Lancaster ISD spokesperson said that the district was aware of the suit and monitoring it but did not have further comment. A Dallas ISD spokesperson said the district does not comment on pending litigation.
DeSoto ISD administrators said in a statement that the school system, which teaches roughly 6,000 kids, operates in alignment with state and federal laws and also remains committed to creating an inclusive learning environment “for all students and families, regardless of religious background or personal beliefs.”
“DeSoto ISD recognizes the diverse cultural and religious identities represented in its school community and will continue to prioritize the safety, dignity, and educational well-being of every student,” district officials said. “The district respects the role of parents and guardians in guiding their children’s personal and religious development and will strive to remain sensitive to the varying perspectives within its schools.”
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