OAN Staff Addie Davis
5:09 PM – Tuesday, March 17, 2026
A federal district court on Monday permanently barred several Arkansas public-school districts from complying with state law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms.
The ruling specifically applies to the six school districts named in the lawsuit: Fayetteville, Bentonville, Conway, Lakeside, Siloam Springs, and Springdale. While the injunction technically only covers these districts, it still sets a massive legal hurdle for the law’s enforcement statewide.
Judge Timothy Brooks, appointed by former President Barrack Obama, argued that the law is “coercive” and “the only reason to display a sacred, religious text in every classroom is to proselytize to children. The State has said the quiet part out loud,” according to the court documents, which were provided online by ACLU Arkansas.
On the flip side, the state’s lawyers noted that the act’s purpose is “to acknowledge the historical importance of the Ten Commandments,” according to the document.
An amendment to a previous law, Act 573, through donations or voluntary contributions, requires the display of representations of the U.S. and Arkansas flags and the national motto “In God We Trust,” in addition to the Biblical Ten Commandments.
In his ruling, Judge Brooks highlighted several statements made by lawmakers during floor debates to demonstrate the law’s underlying religious intent.
He pointed to arguments emphasizing the Ten Commandments’ role in shaping U.S. morality and society, citing one representative who said that “reading and meditating” on the commandments teaches children to appreciate the “virtues and qualities that we should all aspire to as Christians.”
Judge Brooks ultimately grounded his decision in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from making laws “respecting an establishment of religion.” While the court document notes that one representative argued this clause shouldn’t apply to state laws, the ruling reaffirmed that it does.
The lawsuit was brought by a diverse group of parents — including those who are Jewish, Catholic, and secular — who argued that the displays “infringe on their right” to direct their children’s religious upbringing.
Some pointed out that the specific version of the Ten Commandments required by the law is from the King James Bible, and they expressed a desire to discuss faith with their children at times and in ways they deem personally appropriate.
Addressing the claims that the requirement is the same as a monument featuring the Ten Commandments on government property or prayers at the start of a town council meeting, Brooks further detailed his dissent to this view.
“Children cannot similarly avoid reading the Ten Commandments posted in their classrooms for thirteen years of compulsory schooling,” he said.
In response to the ruling, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-Ark.) posed to X on Monday, saying, “We will appeal this ruling and defend our state’s values.”
“In Arkansas, we believe murder is wrong and stealing is bad – and there’s nothing wrong with our students learning that too,” she added.
While the injunction is not a statewide ban, as it only permanently enjoins the specific defendants in this case from enforcing the law, the decision heightens the national debate over similar mandates.
In Louisiana, a federal appellate court recently upheld a similar requirement, though that ruling left the door open for future challenges. Meanwhile, Texas is also currently defending a 2025 law that is mired in its own legal battles.
Given these conflicting outcomes in lower courts, legal experts and surfacing reports suggest that the issue is likely headed for the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) to provide a final, nationwide resolution.
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