Seven families in Arkansas have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a state law that mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms and libraries. Signed into law by Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders earlier this year, the law is set to take effect in August. The families argue that prominently displaying the Ten Commandments imposes religious pressure on students, violating their constitutional rights. The lawsuit, backed by organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, targets four school districts: Fayetteville, Bentonville, Siloam Springs, and Springdale.
The lawsuit claims that the law creates an unconstitutional environment by rendering the Ten Commandments unavoidable, which could pressure students into adopting a specific religious viewpoint. The plaintiffs comprise individuals who identify as Jewish, Unitarian Universalist, or nonreligious, and they intend to seek a preliminary injunction to block the law’s enforcement, citing violations of the First Amendment and existing Supreme Court precedents.
Samantha Stinson, a plaintiff, emphasized that the law infringes on parental rights and creates a religiously coercive atmosphere for students. While Fayetteville schools opted not to comment on the ongoing litigation, the other districts have not responded to inquiries about the lawsuit. Arkansas’s law resembles requirements enacted in Louisiana—where a similar measure was blocked by a federal judge—and Texas, where the governor plans to sign a similar law. Opponents of Louisiana’s law argue that a ruling only applies to specific school boards involved in the litigation, and, as of now, there have been no confirmed displays of the Ten Commandments in schools pending ongoing legal challenges.
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