A judge struck down a law that was set to go into effect on Sept. 1 that would have required schools in Texas to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery said the Republican-led legislation that was signed into law in June by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott concerns the long-held principle of separation of church and state. In his opinion filed on Wednesday, he related his ruling to recent rulings in Arkansas and Louisiana, where judges also barred similar laws.
The display of the Ten Commandments in Texas reflects Protestant traditions and is derived from the King James Bible. Following Abbott’s signing of the bill, S.B. 10, into law, 16 Texas families with religious and nonreligious backgrounds filed a lawsuit arguing that “permanently posting the T