Appeals Court Approves Ten Commandments in Texas Schools: What to Know

The case could end up in the Supreme Court and lead to new rules about how governments deal with religion.

A granite Ten Commandments monument stands on the ground of the Texas Capitol in Austin on May 29, 2025. Eric Gay/AP Photo

A granite Ten Commandments monument stands on the ground of the Texas Capitol in Austin on May 29, 2025. Eric Gay/AP Photo

A federal appeals court has upheld a Texas law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.

In a 9–8 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit said in Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District that the law complied with the First Amendment, despite a contrary ruling it issued last year.