Lawsuit Filed Against Arkansas Ten Commandments Law
By Michael Gryboski, Editor
A coalition of progressive organizations has initiated legal action against Arkansas’s recently enacted legislation requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments. The complaint was filed on behalf of a diverse group of parents by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
The law, known as Act 573, was signed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders in April and is set to go into effect in August. The lawsuit claims the law undermines the constitutional principle of neutrality regarding religion, as it mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in every public-school classroom and library, specifically a state-approved Protestant version of the text.
The complaint argues that this state endorsement of a religious scripture places undue pressure on students from non-Christian backgrounds. It asserts that children may feel compelled to conform to religious observances that contradict their own beliefs, thereby suppressing their religious expressions in a public school setting.
Rachel Laser, president of Americans United, criticized the law, asserting that it represents a broader agenda of Christian nationalism that undermines religious freedom in the United States. The legislation requires postings of both the national motto "In God We Trust" and the Ten Commandments, fostering a preference for specific religious tenets.
The law, which originally began as Senate Bill 433, garnered significant support in the Republican-controlled legislature, passing with a 27-4 vote in the Senate and 71-20 in the House. Proponents, like State Sen. Jim Dotson, argued that the Ten Commandments serve as historical guidelines for moral living. This legal challenge follows similar disputes in Louisiana and past rulings, notably the Supreme Court’s 1980 decision in Stone v. Graham, declaring that mandatory displays of the Ten Commandments in public schools violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.
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