Arkansas Ten Commandments law for public schools struck down by federal judge

A federal judge ruled that Arkansas's 2025 law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms is unconstitutional and blocked the mandate in the case, and the governor has said she will appeal.

A federal judge in Arkansas has struck down the state's 2025 law that required poster-sized displays of the Ten Commandments in every public elementary and secondary classroom and library. The law had been challenged by seven Arkansas families of different religious and nonreligious backgrounds and named six school districts as defendants. The judge issued a written ruling blocking the requirement in the case and said mandated displays cannot be constitutionally justified in ordinary academic classrooms. State officials have announced plans to appeal the decision. Key details: - U.S. District Court Judge Timothy L. Brooks issued the order blocking enforcement in the lawsuit and said such mandated displays are not justified in classrooms. - Seven Arkansas families filed the challenge and six school districts were named as defendants in the case. - The judge’s decision blocks the requirement as applied in this lawsuit, but it is unclear whether the ruling applies statewide or only to the named districts. - The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas described the ruling as a victory for church-state separation. - Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she intends to appeal the ruling and defend the state's position. Summary: The court order stops enforcement of the Ten Commandments display requirement in the brought case and adds to litigation over similar laws in other states. The governor has announced an appeal, and the broader legal scope of the judge’s decision is undetermined at this time.