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On Monday, civil rights advocates petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Texas law that obliges public schools to display the Ten Commandments. This move sets the stage for a potential national standard on the extent of state-sanctioned religious displays in classrooms. The American Civil Liberties Union and various groups represented two dozen Texas families in their petition, which followed a split decision by the conservative-leaning 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in April.

The appellate court upheld the Texas law, requiring public school classrooms to exhibit a version of the Ten Commandments from the King James Bible. The families' attorneys contend that the law contradicts fundamental First Amendment principles concerning the separation of church and state. They argue that compelling children to be exposed to religious texts for nearly every hour of every school day could infringe upon their rights.

The 5th Circuit overturned a lower federal court's ruling that had blocked several Texas school districts from displaying the posters. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the law, which came into effect last September. The law mandates that districts should hang the Ten Commandments only if they are donated. Following Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alabama have adopted similar laws, with Republican governors spearheading the initiative in the South.

The 5th Circuit's ruling in February also allowed Louisiana to enforce its own law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.