The ongoing debate in Texas over religious displays in public classrooms persists, as Conroe Independent School District prepares to enforce a state law requiring Ten Commandments posters in K-12 classrooms—despite opposition from concerned parents. The law, known as SB10, mandates the display of 16-by-20 copies of the Ten Commandments from the King James Bible. Parents like Destinee Milton worry that such displays fail to represent the diverse faiths of students: “My heart goes out to them and their parents because their faiths are not being represented here,” Milton told Click2Houston.
While the Conroe ISD community adjusts to these changes, confusion remains across the state, as different Texas school districts respond differently to the new law’s requirements. A federal judge recently blocked 11 school districts from displaying the posters; however, Attorney General Ken Paxton has stated that districts not covered by the injunction must comply. Mark Chancey, a Bible Studies professor at Southern Methodist University, summarized the situation in a Houston Chronicle interview: “Districts that post the commandments will be faulted for disregarding the courts and the Constitution. Districts that do not post them will be faulted for not following the state law.”
Amidst the clash between state law and constitutional protections, the law’s stipulation that displays only go up if donated leaves schools in an ambiguous position. According to the Houston Chronicle, school leaders must consider options such as purchasing additional posters or postponing action until legal guidance is clearer, while managing a complex legal environment…