Seven Arkansas families filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging a new state law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms and other public buildings.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, the suit targets Act 573 of 2025, which mandates “a durable poster or framed copy” of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, libraries, and publicly funded facilities.
The plaintiffs—parents and children identifying as Jewish, agnostic, atheist, and other non-Christian affiliations—argue the law violates the First Amendment’s Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses. They are seeking a court order to block the law, which is scheduled to take effect August 5.
“This law makes my kids feel like they don’t belong,” said plaintiff Carol Vella.
Backed by the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and other groups, the lawsuit cites Supreme Court precedent, including the 1980 Stone v. Graham ruling, which struck down a similar law in Kentucky.
The law was sponsored by Republican lawmakers and supported by Christian nationalist group WallBuilders, who argue the commandments are a historical foundation, not religious doctrine.
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