Overview
- U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks permanently enjoined Arkansas’ Act 573 in six school districts, finding the classroom display mandate unconstitutional.
- The court said the law lacked a secular educational purpose and cited Stone v. Graham in concluding the requirement promoted religion rather than instruction.
- Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders vowed to appeal, even as Ten Commandments posters continue arriving at public universities in Arkansas that say they plan to comply.
- The Tennessee Senate approved a bill to allow classroom displays of the Ten Commandments in public and charter schools by a 27–6 vote, after the House passed a version in February.
- Courts have issued mixed rulings in similar cases, with the Fifth Circuit allowing Louisiana’s law to proceed during litigation and challenges also pending in Texas.