{"id":221607,"date":"2026-01-20T17:25:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T22:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/?post_type=press_release&p=221607"},"modified":"2026-01-20T17:25:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T22:25:35","slug":"fifth-circuit-hears-arguments-in-challenges-to-ten-commandments-displays-in-louisiana-and-texas-public-school-classrooms","status":"publish","type":"press_release","link":"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/press-releases\/fifth-circuit-hears-arguments-in-challenges-to-ten-commandments-displays-in-louisiana-and-texas-public-school-classrooms","title":{"rendered":"Fifth Circuit Hears Arguments in Challenges to Ten Commandments Displays in Louisiana and Texas Public School Classrooms"},"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-221607","press_release","type-press_release","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"subheading":"Fifth Circuit Hears Arguments in Challenges to Ten Commandments Displays in Louisiana and Texas Public School Classrooms","date_and_time":"2026-01-20 17:23:35","featured_image":"","show_on_press_releases_landing_page":true,"components":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":{"text":"NEW ORLEANS \u2014 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, sitting en banc, heard oral arguments in two cases challenging state laws in Louisiana and Texas that require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. The cases, Rev. Roake v. Brumley<\/em><\/a> and Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District<\/em><\/a>, raise fundamental questions about religious freedom and the separation of church and state guaranteed by the First Amendment.\r\n\r\nThese arguments come nearly a year after a unanimous three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit ruled that Louisiana\u2019s House Bill 71<\/a> is \u201cplainly unconstitutional,\u201d finding it directly contradicted long-standing Supreme Court precedent. That decision was vacated when the full court agreed to rehear the case en banc. Federal courts in Texas have likewise issued multiple preliminary injunctions blocking enforcement of Senate Bill 10<\/a>, concluding that the law violates students\u2019 First Amendment rights by forcing government-endorsed religious scripture on public-school children.\r\n\r\nThe plaintiffs in both states are multifaith and nonreligious families who simply want their constitutional right to decide their children\u2019s religious education respected by the government. They want their children\u2019s public schools to remain welcoming and inclusive for their families and students of all backgrounds.\r\n\r\n\u201cI send my children to public school to learn math, English, science, art, and so much more\u2014but not to be evangelized by the state into its chosen religion,\u201d said Rev. Jeff Sims (he\/him) from Louisiana<\/strong>. \u201cThese religious displays send a message to my children and other students that people of some religious denominations are superior to others. This is religious favoritism and it\u2019s not only dangerous, but runs counter to my Presbyterian values of inclusion and equality.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cNo one faith should be canonized as more holy than others. Yet Texas legislators are imposing the Ten Commandments on public-school children,\u201d said Rabbi Mara Nathan (she\/her) from Texas.<\/strong> \u201cThough they are a sacred text to me and many others, the Ten Commandments has no place on the walls of public-school classrooms. Children's religious beliefs should be instilled by parents and faith communities, not politicians and public schools.\"\r\n\r\nThe Louisiana plaintiffs in Roake v. Brumley<\/em> are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Louisiana, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP serving as pro bono counsel. The Texas plaintiffs in Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District<\/em> are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Texas, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP serving as pro bono counsel.\r\n\r\n\u201cPublic schools are meant to educate, not evangelize,\u201d said Daniel Mach (he\/him), director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief<\/strong>. \u201cWhen the government mandates the display of a specific religious text in every classroom, it crosses a constitutional line by pressuring students and families to conform to the state\u2019s preferred religious doctrine. The First Amendment protects the freedom of every family to decide matters of faith for themselves, and today\u2019s arguments underscore why we must uphold that principle in our public schools.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cWe are proud to be in front of the 5th Circuit representing Texas families who are challenging forced Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms,\u201d said Sarah Corning (she\/her), attorney at the ACLU of Texas<\/strong>. \u201cS.B. 10 is a blatant violation of our First Amendment rights and sends students the message that they only belong if they follow the government\u2019s chosen religion. Texas schools are not Sunday schools, and the Constitution protects Texans\u2019 right to decide how or whether they practice their faith. Texas families want and deserve better from our public schools.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cPublic schools exist to educate, not indoctrinate,\u201d said Alanah Odoms (she\/her), executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana. <\/strong> \u201cThey must remain spaces where all children are safe, free, and respected\u2014regardless of their family\u2019s beliefs. Religion is a personal choice, made by families, not something imposed by politicians through our public schools.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cWe appreciate the Court\u2019s time and its thoughtful engagement during today\u2019s argument. This case centers on a fundamental constitutional principle: Families\u2014not the government\u2014must retain the right to decide whether and how their children engage with religion,\u201d said Jon Youngwood, Co-Chair of Simpson Thacher\u2019s global Litigation Department.<\/strong> \u201cThe laws at issue disrupt that longstanding protection, and we look to the court to safeguard these core First Amendment guarantees.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cThe imposition of a particular religious teaching infringes the rights of students with minority beliefs and no belief,\u201d said Annie Laurie Gaylor (she\/her), co-president at the Freedom From Religion Foundation.<\/strong> \u201cThe Louisiana and Texas state governments cannot be allowed to ride roughshod over those who do not adhere to the dominant religion.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cEvery federal court that\u2019s ruled in these cases so far has said the same thing: Requiring public schools to display a state-mandated version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom is unconstitutional. We urge the Fifth Circuit to affirm those rulings,\u201d said Rachel Laser (she\/her), president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State<\/strong>. \u201cFamilies \u2013 not politicians or public-school officials \u2013 get to decide how, if and when their children engage with religion.\u201d"}}],"drupal_node_id":"","email":"media@aclu.org","phone":"(212) 549-2666","address":{"address_1":"125 Broad Street","address_2":"18th Floor","city":"New York","state":"NY","zip_code":10004,"country":"United States"},"pgp_public_key":"","issues":[46493,46683,46695],"press_releases_related_to_cases":[160507],"spokesperson":[592],"related_affiliates":[333,350],"related_content_documents":"","related_content_publications":""},"yoast_head":"\nAmerican Civil Liberties Union<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fifth Circuit Hears Arguments in Challenges to Ten Commandments Displays in Louisiana and Texas Public School Classrooms | American Civil Liberties Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/press-releases\/fifth-circuit-hears-arguments-in-challenges-to-ten-commandments-displays-in-louisiana-and-texas-public-school-classrooms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"American Civil Liberties Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-20T22:25:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@aclu\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/press-releases\/fifth-circuit-hears-arguments-in-challenges-to-ten-commandments-displays-in-louisiana-and-texas-public-school-classrooms\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/press-releases\/fifth-circuit-hears-arguments-in-challenges-to-ten-commandments-displays-in-louisiana-and-texas-public-school-classrooms\",\"name\":\"Fifth Circuit Hears Arguments in Challenges to Ten Commandments Displays in Louisiana and Texas Public School Classrooms | American Civil Liberties Union\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-20T22:25:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-20T22:25:35+00:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/press-releases\/fifth-circuit-hears-arguments-in-challenges-to-ten-commandments-displays-in-louisiana-and-texas-public-school-classrooms\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/\",\"name\":\"American Civil Liberties Union\",\"description\":\"The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union \u2014 beyond one person, party, or side. 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