A coalition of self-described religious leaders in North Texas has filed suit challenging the newly passed law requiring the Ten Commandments to be visible in government school classrooms.
The lawsuit, filed with the U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, challenges Senate Bill 10, which requires the Ten Commandments to be clearly displayed in classrooms of government-run schools. The new law is set to take effect September 1, 2025.
Plaintiffs include Christian pastors, Islamic leaders, and parents from Dallas Independent School District, among others.
One of the case’s plaintiffs, Dominique Alexander, president of Next Generation Action Network, was involved in funding the 2020 George Floyd protests-turned-riots in Dallas.
A post by NGAN on X indentifies the NGAN Legal Advocacy Fund as having initiated the lawsuit.
“This is what the Left does,” State Sen. Phil King (R–Weatherford), author of SB 10, told Texas Scorecard. “We knew this was coming and we feel strongly that the law is on Texas’ side.”
In the lawsuit, plaintiffs argue that SB 10 violates the U.S. Constitution’s Establishment and Free Exercise clauses, as well as the Freedom of Worship clause in the Texas Constitution.
Additionally, the plaintiffs state that the law undermines parental rights, because the proposal would infringe on their rights to teach their children family-held religious beliefs.
Texas Values voiced surprise concerning the lawsuit from NGAN, expecting it to come instead from the American Civil Liberties Union, as the ACLU has previously stated that it planned to file suit.
“This amateur hour lawsuit, by some organization that seems to focus a lot on chasing headlines, has no chance of success in Texas,” stated Texas Values president and attorney, Jonathan Saenz. “I’m wondering if even the ACLU was aware of this lawsuit and how they feel about some other group stealing their thunder.”
The lawsuit was filed only four days after SB 10 was signed into law.
A similar law in Louisiana has also been tied up in the courts.
