Spring Branch Independent School District trustees unanimously rejected a parent’s appeal to remove Ten Commandments posters from classrooms or allow additional religious displays.
According to the Houston Chronicle, parent Emily Black Roth presented what she described as her final appeal to the board after two prior requests to the district were denied. Trustees voted 7–0 to dismiss the appeal without discussion.
Roth told the board that she believes it is inappropriate for her 5-year-old daughter to see references to killing and adultery displayed in her classroom. She also argued that posting only the Ten Commandments does not reflect the religious diversity of the community.
Roth said she hopes her daughter’s faith will be shaped by personal conviction rather than government influence. After the vote, she expressed disappointment that trustees declined to consider allowing additional faith-based texts to be displayed alongside the Ten Commandments.
District officials pointed to Senate Bill 10, the state law requiring the posters, as the basis for their decision.
The district’s outside counsel, attorney Ellen Spalding, told trustees that adding other religious texts would conflict with the district’s neutrality policy. She said the Ten Commandments posters are treated differently because they are mandated by state law. Spalding also noted that Attorney General Ken Paxton has publicly stated that districts refusing to comply with SB 10 could face legal action.
Spring Branch ISD is not currently involved in litigation over the law, and Roth’s complaint is separate from any existing lawsuits.
SB 10 took effect September 1 and requires every public elementary and secondary school classroom in Texas to display a framed copy or durable poster of the Ten Commandments in a conspicuous place. Schools are not required to purchase the displays but must accept and post donated copies that meet statutory standards.
Legal challenges to the law remain ongoing. A federal district court issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of SB 10 in certain named districts, including Houston ISD, Fort Bend ISD, and Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. Under the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Trump v. CASA, injunctions apply only to the parties involved in the lawsuit, meaning districts not named are still expected to comply.
Paxton has filed lawsuits against districts that declined to implement the law. In November, he sued Round Rock ISD and Leander ISD. Earlier, he brought similar action against Galveston ISD.
Attorneys for Texas recently defended SB 10 before the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in consolidated arguments with a similar Louisiana case. The court has not yet issued a ruling, and further appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is expected.
For now, the law remains enforceable in districts not covered by federal court orders, including Spring Branch ISD.
No ads. No paywalls. No government grants. No corporate masters.
Just real news for real Texans.
Support Texas Scorecard to keep it that way!
