Additional Coverage:
- Federal judge strikes down Ten Commandments displays in several Arkansas school districts (foxnews.com)
Federal Judge Blocks Ten Commandments Display in Arkansas Classrooms, Citing Proselytization
LITTLE ROCK, AR – A federal judge in Arkansas has permanently halted several school districts from displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms, deeming the state law that mandated their placement as a tool to “proselytize to children.”
U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, issued the ruling on Monday, March 16, striking down Act 573 for various major school districts. The law, passed in April 2025, aimed to reintroduce the Ten Commandments into public schools and was supported by Republican leaders, including Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who argued they serve as a foundational document for American law and history.
However, Judge Brooks concluded that the law’s sole purpose was to disseminate religious doctrine rather than to fulfill any secular educational objective. “Act 573’s purpose is only to display a sacred, religious text in a prominent place in every public-school classroom,” Brooks wrote in his decision.
He further elaborated, “And the only reason to display a sacred, religious text in every classroom is to proselytize to children. The State has said the quiet part out loud.”
The judge also characterized the law as “coercive,” asserting that it “admits there is no educational purpose in displaying the Ten Commandments.” The specific version of the Ten Commandments required by the law is derived from the Protestant King James Bible. The lawsuit included testimony from parents of diverse faiths, including Judaism, Catholicism, and Unitarianism, as well as those with no religious affiliation, who objected to the mandated posters.
Brooks highlighted that students are unable to avoid encountering the posters in their classrooms. “Children cannot similarly avoid reading the Ten Commandments posted in their classrooms for thirteen years of compulsory schooling,” he stated.
While this ruling does not constitute a statewide ban, it significantly impacts numerous large school districts across Arkansas. The decision comes amidst a split in judicial opinions on similar issues, as the 5th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals recently allowed a comparable law requiring Ten Commandments posters in Louisiana schools to proceed. Should this judicial divergence persist, the matter could ultimately reach the Supreme Court.
Arkansas leaders have already expressed their intent to challenge the ruling. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, in a statement to Fox News Digital, affirmed, “In Arkansas, we do in fact believe that murder is wrong and stealing is bad. It is entirely appropriate to display the Ten Commandments – the basis of all Western law and morality – as a reminder to students, state employees, and every Arkansan who enters a government building, and I look forward to appealing this suit and defending our state’s values.”
The Arkansas Attorney General’s office has confirmed its plan to appeal the decision. Jeff LeMaster, communications director for Attorney General Tim Griffin, informed Fox News Digital, “We are reviewing the opinion and will appeal.”