Fourteen of Texas’ Independent School Districts (ISDs) were ordered to temporarily stop displaying the Ten Commandments in their classrooms after a federal judge in San Antonio determined the new state law (Senate Bill 10) likely violates the First Amendment.
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Judge Orlando Garcia from the U.S. Court of the Western District of Texas ruled on Tuesday that SB 10 possibly violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which separates church and state.
The temporary order specifically affects 14 school districts because they are named as defendants in a Sept. 22 lawsuit filed by 16 Texas families whose children attend these schools.
The lawsuit, known as Cribbs Ringer v. Comal Independent School District, was brought forward by parents who come from diverse religious and non-religious backgrounds, including Atheist, Agnostic, Christian, Jewish, Baha’i, Hindu, and Humanist faiths.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation are representing the families.
The school districts affected by the injunction are the following:
- Comal ISD
- Georgetown ISD
- Conroe ISD
- Flour Bluff ISD
- Fort Worth ISD
- Arlington ISD
- Mckinney ISD
- Frisco ISD
- Northwest ISD
- Azle ISD
- Rockwall ISD
- Lovejoy ISD
- Mansfield ISD
- McAllen ISD
These ISDs have until Dec. 1 to remove any existing Ten Commandments displays from their classroom walls.
They are also required to submit paperwork to the court by Dec. 9, confirming that they have removed all displays in their schools and that they are fully complying with the judge’s order.
Attorney General Ken Paxton stated in August that all Texas ISDs not affected by ongoing litigation should continue displaying copies of the Christian-faith-based laws in their learning environments.
Paxton has already filed lawsuits against multiple school districts, including Galveston ISD, Round Rock ISD and Leander ISD, for alleged refusal to comply with the Ten Commandments rules.
READ MORE: Texas AG Paxton sues Austin-area school districts for refusing to display Ten Commandments
Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 10 into law in June.
SB 10 requires all Texas public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. It requires that the displays be large enough (at least 16x20 inches) that students can read them from anywhere in the classroom. The law went into effect on Sept. 1, 2025.