US EditionJudge permanently blocks Ten Commandments displays at several Arkansas school districts
Judge Timothy L. Brooks ruled Act 573 unconstitutional for imposing religious doctrine in public schools, affecting six Arkansas districts and sparking an expected state appeal.
- On Monday, March 16, 2026, U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks permanently blocked Arkansas Act 573, which required public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom, ruling the law violates First Amendment protections.
- Amended in April 2025, the law required all classrooms to display the Ten Commandments derived from the Protestant King James Bible; the court found this mandate violates constitutional protections against government-imposed religious doctrine.
- Citing a 1962 Supreme Court opinion, Brooks stated the law "serves no educational purpose" and that "a union of government and religion tends to destroy government and to degrade religion."
- ACLU of Arkansas Legal Director John C. Williams called the ruling "a resounding affirmation that public schools are not Sunday schools," while Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin plans to appeal the decision.
- The court emphasized that the government must remain neutral on matters of faith; "the law does not require a child to experience a crisis of faith" to establish a First Amendment injury, the court said.
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84 Articles
The Center Square
The Moore County News-PressArkansas to appeal court ruling on Ten Commandments, implications for Texas case
(The Center Square) – A federal judge has permanently blocked an Arkansas law from going into effect requiring elementary and secondary public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every
Obama judge permanently blocks display of Ten Commandments at Arkansas school districts · American Wire News
The case of Arkansas school districts attempting to establish Ten Commandments displays has officially come to an end. U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, has permanently blocked several school districts within the state from being able to display the Ten Commandments in their classrooms. He sided with the plaintiffs who argued that it was a violation of the Establishment Clause, but this ruling onl…
Judge strikes down Arkansas law mandating schools display the Ten Commandments
BATON ROUGE, La. — An Arkansas law requiring that the Ten Commandments be prominently displayed in public school classrooms was struck down by a federal judge Monday. The law is among those pushed by Republicans, including President Donald Trump, to incorporate religion in public schools. Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas all have enacted similar laws requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in classrooms. And as such, each mandate has faced lega…
Arkansas Ten Commandments law blocked that mandates classroom display
A judge struck down an Arkansas law that requires schools to display the Ten Commandments prominently in classrooms. Here is what to know about the law, and where the battle over its legality is headed.
A federal judge ordered Monday to permanently prevent several Arkansas school districts from continuing to enforce a state law that forced the Ten Commandments to be displayed in the classrooms of public schools.Read more
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