Legal issues are continuing to mount over Texas’ recently implemented law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments, with the most recent hitting close to home.
A class action suit filed Dec. 2 is requesting the law be blocked statewide — but specifically names 16 school districts, including Pearland, Clear Creek, Magnolia and Katy. Plaintiffs are 18 multifaith and nonreligious families throughout the state.
“The courts are clear that forcing displays of the Ten Commandments on Texas students is unconstitutional,” attorney Chloe Kempf representing the ACLU of Texas stated in a release. “Yet Texas school districts won’t stop.”
In Pearland, teachers and parents have spoken out at school board meetings. One Pearland ISD science teacher addressed the board in October to state “the blatantly unconstitutional Senate Bill 10 is clearly not going to survive a court battle and has already been overturned in other states.”
She went on to say the wording on the posters is inappropriate for elementary aged students, and that “a significant portion of our staff and students don’t follow this specific religion on which this poster is based.”
Supporters of the law say the Commandments and teachings of Christianity are vital to understanding U.S. history and heritage.“We are seeing a significantly low number in the cost of living amongst most communities,” McKearin said.
