A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Monday night blocking Arkansas’ new Ten Commandments law from taking effect, ruling that it likely violates the First Amendment. Act 573, passed earlier this year, requires public school classrooms, libraries, and other taxpayer-funded buildings to prominently display a specific version of the Ten Commandments.
Seven multifaith families sued the Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, and Siloam Springs school districts in June, arguing the law infringes on religious liberty. U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks agreed, writing that the law mandates “expressly religious scripture” tied to Protestantism, which makes it exclusionary and unconstitutional.
Brooks rejected arguments that the law merely promotes a historical document. “The Ten Commandments are not passive because students in public schools are forced to engage with them,” he wrote. He cited decades-old Supreme Court precedent striking down similar laws.
Supporters of Act 573 claimed it reflects American legal history. But Brooks said the law appears to be part of a broader strategy by multiple states to reintroduce Christian doctrine into public schools. Similar laws in Louisiana and Texas are also under legal challenge.
The ruling blocks implementation in the four school districts named in the suit.
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