Richardson Independent School District (RISD) has been included in a class action lawsuit concerning the mandated display of the Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms. This requirement stemmed from the passage of Senate Bill 10 during the summer legislative session, which generated significant debate around First Amendment rights and religious freedom when the bill took effect in September.
The lawsuit, filed in the Western District of Texas federal court in San Antonio, seeks to prohibit RISD and other Texas school districts from displaying the Ten Commandments. RISD officials have chosen not to comment on the ongoing litigation but confirmed that they have not yet been formally served with legal documents related to the case.
This recent legal action is part of a broader opposition against the Ten Commandments display in Texas schools. Earlier, two separate lawsuits were launched against various school districts, resulting in significant legal setbacks for the mandated displays. In August, a Federal Circuit Court judge delivered a preliminary injunction against them in at least nine districts, followed by a second Federal judge blocking displays in an additional 15 districts in November.
The current lawsuit is being pursued by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas (ACLU), Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. These organizations are representing 18 multifaith and nonreligious families from 16 school districts, including RISD, that are not named in the previous lawsuits. The class action format aims to extend protections against the display of the Ten Commandments to all Texas school districts not previously affected.
A statement from advocacy groups highlighted, “With more than 1,000 school districts in Texas, a class action lawsuit is the most effective way to protect the religious freedom of all Texas public school children and their families.”
While Senate Bill 10 allows schools to display donated copies of the Ten Commandments, it does not impose a requirement to purchase such materials, raising further questions about the implications for school districts across the state. This legal challenge underscores ongoing debates surrounding religious expressions in public schools and reinforces the necessity of balancing religious freedom with the establishment clause of the First Amendment.