Federal Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Ten Commandments in Texas Classrooms

In a split vote, the Fifth Circuit overturned the lower court ruling, upholding Texas Senate Bill 10.

A copy of the Ten Commandments is posted along with other historical documents in a hallway of the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta on June 20, 2024. AP Photo/John Bazemore, File

A federal appeals court ruled April 21 that the state of Texas may order every public school classroom to display the Ten Commandments, marking a victory to supporters of the law.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which voted 9–8, upheld Texas Senate Bill 10, overturning a lower-court injunction that had barred the 2025 law from taking effect.