Texas AG Paxton: Schools Must Display Ten Commandments
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has issued a strong reminder to public schools across the Lone Star State: the new law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments applies universally—not just in areas impacted by recent legal challenges. His office is pushing forward with the message that moral clarity and biblical values have a place at the center of public education.
In a statement issued Monday, Paxton reaffirmed the intent of the new state law that mandates every public elementary and secondary school classroom to prominently display the Ten Commandments. This law, signed by Governor Greg Abbott earlier this year, seeks to reintroduce a traditional moral framework that shaped much of America’s founding ethos. While legal threats have emerged from progressive organizations, Paxton made it clear: Texas schools are not exempt unless a court says otherwise.
“The Ten Commandments are foundational to our system of law and our moral code,” Paxton said. “This law is constitutional, and it remains in effect. Schools should not be intimidated into compliance with woke ideology or pressure from activist groups.”
This public affirmation follows a cease-and-desist letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), which is aggressively attempting to dissuade school districts from enforcing the law. But according to Paxton, not only is the law still binding, but any district that prematurely retreats from its duty to post the Commandments could be acting in violation of state law.
A Return to Moral Clarity
Senate Bill 1515, passed during the most recent Texas legislative session, requires that a poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments—measuring at least 16 by 20 inches and written in a “large, legible font”—be displayed in a “conspicuous place” within each classroom. The law also permits schools to accept private donations to cover the cost of the displays, removing financial barriers for compliance.
For many conservatives and Christian families, this isn’t just about hanging up religious text—it’s about reclaiming a cultural foundation that’s been slowly eroded by decades of secular activism. The Ten Commandments stand as timeless ethical guidelines, and proponents argue that their removal from public spaces coincided with the moral drift witnessed in schools over the past half-century.
“We’re not talking about forced religion,” one school board member in rural East Texas explained. “We’re talking about acknowledging a historical and moral compass that helped build this nation.”
Opponents, of course, have signaled legal warfare. The FFRF and other secular groups claim the law violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. But Paxton, who has built a reputation as a constitutional defender and conservative bulldog, is not backing down.
“No court has enjoined the law,” he noted. “It’s active, binding, and must be enforced. The goal here is to give schools clarity—not confusion.”
Legal Battles Ahead?
While the future of the law may ultimately be decided in court, for now, Paxton insists there is no ambiguity. Public schools must move forward with implementation, or risk running afoul of state expectations—and possibly face litigation of their own.
This latest push fits into a broader national conversation about restoring Christian principles in the public square. From nativity scenes in city halls to prayer at high school football games, Christians across the country are fighting to reclaim public expressions of faith once assumed to be culturally normative.
As courts slowly shift in favor of religious liberty—especially in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton (2022), which upheld the rights of a high school football coach to pray on the field—the ground seems fertile for these types of laws to endure and expand.
Paxton, for his part, is ready to see the battle through.
“We cannot be ashamed of our faith,” he said in a recent Newsmax interview. “We must fight for the values that built Texas and built America.”
For Christian families across the state, the return of the Ten Commandments to classrooms is more than a policy win—it’s a spiritual milestone. It’s a bold declaration that the Word of God is not confined to churches or private homes. It belongs at the heart of our culture—and yes, even on the walls of our schools.