Washington: A group of 46 U.S. lawmakers has called on a federal appeals court to allow the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, arguing that the historic text forms an essential part of America’s legal and cultural foundations.
The appeal was submitted through an amicus brief filed by First Liberty Institute and attorney Heather Gebelin Hacker of Hacker Stephens LLP. The lawmakers backing the effort include U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), and Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn (both R-Texas). Their intervention comes after federal judges blocked newly enacted laws in Texas and Louisiana requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments.
Speaker Johnson, in a statement issued on December 4, emphasized the deep historical roots of the commandments. “The Ten Commandments displayed prominently inside and outside the U.S. Supreme Court have shaped the foundations of Western civilization and are inseparably linked to America’s history,” he said. Johnson added that he hopes the court respects longstanding precedent and recognizes the educational significance of displaying such texts.
Louisiana enacted House Bill 71 in 2024, mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in publicly funded schools. However, a federal judge halted implementation, calling the requirement “coercive” and “unconstitutional.” Texas introduced a similar mandate through Senate Bill 10 this year, but that measure too was partially blocked in August. Both legal challenges have now been merged and will be reviewed this month by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
First Liberty Institute argued that recent Supreme Court rulings including The American Legion v. American Humanist Association and Kennedy v. Bremerton School District support the constitutionality of such displays. They contend that longstanding public acknowledgment of religious symbols is consistent with the nation’s traditions and legal heritage.
Sen. Cruz highlighted the historical importance of the commandments, calling them “foundational to Western legal tradition and the common-law system that shaped American jurisprudence.” He expressed hope that the Fifth Circuit will uphold the laws. Sen. Cornyn echoed this position, saying the commandments remind students of the Judeo-Christian values that influenced the country’s development.
Rep. Roy argued that the displays affirm America’s historical identity. “America was founded on a distinctly Christian understanding, and the Ten Commandments remain intertwined with our legal and moral heritage,” he said, adding that placing them in classrooms reinforces the nation’s guiding principles.
First Liberty CEO Kelly Shackelford said the government should not exhibit hostility toward religious history, noting that the commandments hold both spiritual and secular meaning. In the brief, attorney Hacker cited Justice Neil Gorsuch’s warning from the American Legion case: federal courts must avoid acting as legislative bodies by restricting displays merely because some individuals object to them.
The consolidated cases mark one of the most closely watched church–state legal disputes of the year, with implications for how religion may be acknowledged in public education across the United States.