Like most Texas school districts, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD is in the middle of a tug-of-war between state lawmakers and the federal court system over the Ten Commandments.
Texas Senate Bill 10 took effect Sept. 1, mandating that Texas public schools must display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. While schools are not required to purchase their own, if they are privately donated, they must put them on display.
But on Nov. 18, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ordered some districts in Tarrant County to remove the display of the Ten Commandments in all classrooms, including Fort Worth, Arlington, Mansfield, Northwest, and Azle ISDs.
Superintendent Jerry Hollingsworth said since S.B. 10 is a state law, EMSISD must follow it, and the district is being “as compliant as we possibly can.”
“It is a significant change for school districts in Texas, and it is our job to be compliant,” Hollingsworth said. “We are working to do that.”
Hollingsworth stated that the process of displaying the Ten Commandments began after multiple posters were donated, and five schools now display them in each classroom. As of press time, no posters were donated to or displayed at Boswell.
Opponents of the law have argued in federal court that the display of religious texts violates the First Amendment.
Chloe Kempf, an attorney for ACLU of Texas, the group that filed the suit against S.B. 10, told The Texas Newsroom and KERA on Nov. 18 that all districts should be aware that displaying the posters violates students’ rights.
“The First Amendment guarantees families and faith communities — not the government — the right to instill religious beliefs in our children,” Kempf said.
Hollingsworth said to “ask members of the legislature what they think” about the law’s constitutionality.
“I’ve been taught that, with regard to public school leaders and religious matters, we are supposed to be neutral,” he said, “and this is not. This is Judeo-Christian.”
Event though no posters are on display yet, Boswell students had mixed reactions to the law.
Senior Christopher Ybarra said he thinks the law forces Christianity on students.
“That’s just putting religion in people’s face that they don’t follow, you know?” Ybarra said. “It goes against the freedom of religion.”
Senior Valerie Trejo-Lopez said she opposes the law, but would agree if other religions were represented.
“I don’t really agree with it because of how America was built on freedom of religion,” Trejo-Lopez said, “but I think it could also be a good thing if we put all like religions on there, not just Christianity.”
Senior Aaryan Yedla said he hopes posting the Ten Commandments would remind students, even non-Christians, to be moral citizens.
“It helps more than it harms,” he said. “I’m not Christian, right? But like, if we look at our school right now, there’s a lot of bad things going on. I feel like if we had the Ten Commandments, that would be there to remind the students not to engage in bad activities.”
Senior Madison Branch said she felt the posters don’t belong in a public school.
“I think it’s unconstitutional because we need freedom of religion and freedom from religion,” she said. “So if we put the Ten Commandments in the class, what about the other people who have followed different religions? I mean, it’s good maybe for a Christian school because I did go to a Christian private school and it makes sense for that.”
Hollingsworth encouraged students to engage in politics to have more of a say in laws such as S.B. 10.
“If young people would vote in mass, you would control the process,” he said, “but most young people don’t. It’s usually the older generations. Young people have the numbers. Vote.”