A federal judge has permanently blocked several Arkansas school districts from implementing a state law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments.
Citing a landmark1962 U.S. Supreme Court opinionover prayer in public schools, U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks said in aMarch 16 rulingthat the state "may have lost sight of the fact that 'a union of government and religion tends to destroy government and to degrade religion'" in passingArkansas Act 573.
The displays would violate students' and parents' First Amendment rights, he said. TheFirst Amendment bars the governmentfrom "respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
"The law serves no educational purpose, as the State admits, and consequently deprives Plaintiffs of their rights," Brooks wrote.
Severalcivil liberties groups— Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, the ACLU, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation — and theNew York-based law firmSimpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP are representing the plaintiffs, a group of multifaith families with children in Arkansas public schools.
The Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, Conway, Lakeside, and Siloam Springs school districts are defendants in the case. The state of Arkansas, on behalf of Attorney General Tim Griffin, is listed asan intervenor in the case— a third party who's not part of the original lawsuit but requests to get involved.
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Jeff LeMaster, Griffin's communications director, said the office was "reviewing the opinion and will appeal."
"Today's ruling is a resounding affirmation that public schools are not Sunday schools," ACLU of Arkansas Legal DirectorJohn C. Williamssaid in response to the ruling. "The Constitution protects every student's right to learn free from government-imposed religious doctrine."
Brooks hadpreviously grantedapreliminary injunction, atemporary measure that maintains the status quountil a court hears the merits of the case. It was issued one day before the law was set to go into effect.
USA TODAY reached out to the involved school districts for comment.
BrieAnna Frank is a First Amendment reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her atbjfrank@usatoday.com.
USA TODAY's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.Funders do not provide editorial input.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Arkansas school districts blocked from Ten Commandments displays