Conroe ISD is proceeding with Ten Commandments classroom displays under Texas’s new law, even as federal courts rule the mandate unconstitutional in other districts.
Conroe Independent School District is proceeding with its initiative to showcase Ten Commandments posters in classrooms, despite ongoing legal challenges that raise questions about the constitutionality of Texas’s new mandate.
Senate Bill 10, effective September 1, mandates that schools showcase the Ten Commandments in each classroom, provided the posters are donated. Districts have the option to refrain from purchasing posters, yet the wording of the law has prompted school leaders to consider whether to add to donations, leave certain classrooms without displays, or await judicial clarification.
In Conroe ISD, the choice has already undergone scrutiny. Shortly before U.S. District Judge Fred Biery granted an injunction halting the law in multiple districts, the district was delivered 330 posters from volunteers. During a recent board meeting, district counsel Kara Belew advised postponing any displays until a ruling from the courts is received.
District officials have stated their commitment to adhere to the law as it is outlined. “The district has started distributing the necessary Senate Bill 10 posters to campuses, and they will be showcased in classrooms by the first class on Sept. 2, as Sept. 1 is a holiday,” Andrew Stewart, executive director of communications for Conroe ISD, stated on Thursday. “As we look ahead, it is possible that additional legal proceedings could lead to a mandate for their removal, but Conroe ISD will remain committed to adhering to the current legal framework.”
The situation stands in stark contrast to the ongoing legal ambiguity unfolding throughout Texas. A ruling by Judge Biery has put a temporary stop to the law in multiple districts around Austin and San Antonio, which includes Austin, Lake Travis, and Alamo Heights ISDs, along with Houston ISD, Fort Bend ISD, and Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. In his ruling, Biery stated that the statute “is not neutral with respect to religion” and clearly requires a “Judeo-Christian version” of scripture to be used in public classrooms.
Attorney General Ken Paxton, on the other hand, challenged the ruling and encouraged districts not affected by the injunction to proceed with the law's implementation regardless. On Monday, Paxton stated that “schools not affected by ongoing litigation are required to comply with SB 10 and display the Ten Commandments.”
Critics contend that the guidance places districts in a state of legal uncertainty. “The attorney general suggests that the prevailing approach is to ‘wait until you’re sued,’” remarked Charlton Copeland, a law professor at the University of Miami.
Currently, Conroe ISD is moving forward with the displays, while recognizing that they may soon be required to remove them. Stewart stated, “We will adhere to the law as it currently exists.”
.jpg)
