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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Jamie Stengle

Court rules Texas schools can display Ten Commandments – what it means

  • A US appeals court has ruled that Texas public schools can mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, overturning a district court's judgment.
  • The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the law doesn’t infringe upon the First Amendment, which protects religious freedom and prohibits governmental establishment of religion.
  • Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton hailed the ruling as a significant victory for the state's moral values, while organisations challenging the law, including the American Civil Liberties Union, expressed extreme disappointment.
  • This could pave the way for a showdown at the US Supreme Court and is part of a push by Republicans to incorporate religion into schools.
  • The ruling follows a similar case in Louisiana, where the appeals court also cleared the way for a law requiring Ten Commandments displays, and the Texas law took effect on 1 September, with many districts displaying the posters.

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