New Law Sparks Federal Challenge Over Religious Freedom Concerns
Arkansas Ten Commandments lawsuit filed by seven multifaith families to block law requiring displays in public schools. The law, signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in April, is set to take effect this August.
The families, represented by the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU), and the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), claim the law violates the First Amendment and sets a dangerous precedent for religious coercion in public education.
The Lawsuit: Violating the Constitution?
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, the complaint argues that the law infringes on parents’ rights to guide their children’s religious upbringing and imposes a Protestant-centric version of the Ten Commandments.
The law requires schools to display posters at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall in each classroom, with text large enough to read from anywhere in the room.
“Permanently posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library—rendering them unavoidable—unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance,” the lawsuit reads.
Parents Speak Out: “The state is violating our rights as parents.”
Samantha Stinson, one of the plaintiffs, expressed deep concern about the impact on children:
“By imposing a Christian-centric translation… this law will create a religiously coercive school environment and infringe on our rights as parents.”
The families involved identify as Jewish, Unitarian Universalist, or non-religious, and argue that their children would feel alienated and pressured to conform to a state-endorsed religious message.
Nationwide Trend: Religion in Public Schools
The Arkansas law follows similar moves in Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. In Louisiana, a federal judge blocked a similar law, and the case is now on appeal. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott plans to sign a comparable bill. Oklahoma, the state superintendent ordered Bible teachings, though most school districts have ignored the directive.
Rachel Laser, president of AU, labeled these efforts as part of a “Christian Nationalist scheme.”
“Not on our watch. We’re proud to defend the religious freedom of Arkansas schoolchildren and their families,” Laser said.
What Happens Next?
Attorneys for the families seek a preliminary and permanent injunction to stop the law from taking effect during litigation. The court is expected to issue a decision before the law takes effect in August.
The Arkansas Attorney General’s Office has not responded to the lawsuit as of June 11.
Source: USA Today
