Notre Dame scholars urge Supreme Court to reject Texas Ten Commandments law

Scholars from the Lindsay & Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic at the University of Notre Dame Law School filed an amicus brief on Sept. 28 urging the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a Texas law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms.

The law, signed by Governor Greg Abbott in June 2025, requires a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments to be hung in every public elementary and secondary school classroom in Texas. While U.S. District Judge Fred Biery blocked the measure in August 2025, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later upheld the law, ruling it does not violate the First Amendment.

In their filing, the Notre Dame scholars argued that the law forces state-sponsored religious instruction on children and violates Supreme Court precedent. They stated the requirement effectively coerces students into religious instruction and attempts to teach government-approved religious truth. The scholars also requested that the Supreme Court take up the case to provide guidance on the extent of the establishment clause in the First Amendment, arguing that the previous appeals court ruling misstates constitutional history and endangers religious freedom.