AUSTIN, TX – Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has granted an initial en banc hearing in Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District, allowing the full court to hear arguments concerning Texas’s law permitting the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.
The case will be reviewed alongside similar litigation from Louisiana. The Fifth Circuit has ordered expedited briefing, with arguments expected in early 2026.
“I’m proud to defend Texas’s right to uphold our legal and moral heritage by protecting the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools,” said Attorney General Paxton. “There is no reason any school district should be prohibited from displaying these foundational words that have guided our laws and values for centuries.”
The hearing follows lawsuits filed by individuals seeking to block Senate Bill 10 from taking effect, resulting in a federal court order halting the law’s implementation in certain districts. Paxton appealed that ruling to the Fifth Circuit.
After the passage of Senate Bill 10, Attorney General Paxton issued a legal advisory directing school districts to display donated copies of the Ten Commandments. His office continues to defend the law as a valid reflection of Texas’s historical and moral foundations.
