Overview
- U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks issued a permanent injunction on March 16 in Stinson v. Fayetteville School District.
- The court found Act 573 violates the Establishment Clause and burdens parents’ free-exercise rights, triggering strict scrutiny, and it required a specific King James–based paraphrase of the Ten Commandments.
- State stipulations that the displays involved no instruction, curriculum integration, or interaction led the judge to conclude the law serves no educational purpose.
- Multifaith families represented by ACLU affiliates, Americans United, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and Simpson Thacher sued the Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, Conway, Lakeside, and Siloam Springs districts.
- Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office says it will appeal, and the decision adds to ongoing legal battles over similar classroom mandates in other states.