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Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Seven families sue to block AR law requiring Ten Commandments display in schools
Seven Arkansas families of varying faiths are suing the state to block a new law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms and libraries. The families said the new law 'pressures students into religious observance' of the state's preference and sends a 'religiously divisive message' to students, according to the complaint, filed June 11 in the Western District of Arkansas. Four Northwest Arkansas school districts — Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville and Siloam Springs — are cited as defendants in the complaint. 'We are reviewing the lawsuit and considering our options,' a spokesperson for the attorney general's office told McClatchy News in a June 13 email. In April, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill ordering the display of a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments and the motto 'In God We Trust' into law. The complaint asks for an order declaring the law a violation of the First Amendment and an order to enjoin the school districts from complying with the act. 'This law is part of the nationwide Christian Nationalist scheme to win favor for one set of religious views over all others and nonreligion — in a country that promises religious freedom,' Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said in a June 11 news release. AU is one of the organizations representing the families, according to the lawsuit. What families said about the new law The families bringing the lawsuit represent several differing religious beliefs, including Judaism, atheism and Unitarian Universalism, according to the complaint. Many of them believe the required display will signal to their children that it is wrong to not be Christian or that they are outsiders for not sharing the same faith, attorneys said. One of the families of Jewish background said the display will make it difficult for their children to 'maintain and express their Jewish identity.' While they recognize the Ten Commandments as part of their faith, the Protestant version lawmakers want displayed in public schools is contrary to their beliefs, according to the complaint. 'They believe strongly that it is important to teach their children about the Ten Commandments within the context of the Jewish faith,' attorneys said. Another family, who practices Humanist and atheist traditions, said the displays will remind their child of previous trauma experienced at school due to religious proselytizing. According to the complaint, a teacher at a different public school got mad at their child 'for not believing in God' and told them 'the family's beliefs were wrong.' This caused the child to feel pressured to 'pretend to believe in God while at school,' attorneys said. 'Being subjected every day to the Ten Commandments in every classroom and the library will remind (the child) of this trauma and further pressure (them) to observe, meditate on, venerate, and adopt the religious directives, as well as to suppress any expression of (their) nonreligious beliefs and background,' attorneys said. While the new law is set to take effect Aug. 5, the families have also filed a motion for preliminary injunction asking the court to temporarily prevent implementation while the lawsuit is pending, according to a news release. Similar lawsuits filed The Arkansas lawsuit is the latest in a string of federal cases examining the constitutional separation of church and state. In May, groups sued the state of Texas over a similar law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments, according to a May 29 American Civil Liberties Union news release. In November, a federal district court blocked a Louisiana law ordering the Ten Commandments to be shown in public schools after nine multi-faith families filed a lawsuit, according to a Nov. 12 ACLU news release.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawsuit filed over Arkansas Ten Commandments in classrooms law
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Families of students at some school districts in northwest Arkansas are suing over Act 573 of 2025, a law mandating the Ten Commandments be displayed in public school classrooms. The plaintiffs come from diverse backgrounds, some of which are very religious, while others are not, but all argue that the law is unconstitutional. Ten Commandments, 'In God We Trust' in classrooms is now Arkansas law When school starts, the Ten Commandments are to be displayed in classrooms across the state. However, the lawsuit seeks to stop the law from taking effect. John Williams, legal director for the ACLU of Arkansas, said the plaintiffs believe the law violates the U.S. Constitution. 'We think that by posting a religious document for students to view every day when they're in school, that that is an establishment of a preferred religion, and that's against the Establishment Clause,' Williams said. Williams also said the law violates the free exercise of religion. USDA approves Arkansas Gov. Sanders' waiver to ban soda, candy from SNAP Jerry Cox, executive director of the conservative Family Council, supports the law. 'We think that this is a very good law; the purpose of school is to teach young people good values and to teach them about our history,' Cox said. Cox says that the Ten Commandments are also historical and foundational to Western civilization. 'I think it's undeniable that the Ten Commandments formed the basis for all Western civilization, our laws, our morals, our society,' Cox said. Williams disagreed, emphasizing the religious nature of the commandments. 'Ten Commandments are not really a basis for law in the United States,' he said. Cox noted that the commandments are already displayed in various public places. 'We display the Ten Commandments in a lot of public places. They're over there on the grounds of the Capitol, you can find them at the U.S. Supreme Court,' he said. Lawsuit filed to halt Arkansas law putting 10 Commandments in classrooms The law is scheduled to take effect Aug. 5, before the new school year begins. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas families sue to keep 10 Commandments out of classroom before new law takes effect
Arkansas families are suing to block the 10 Commandments from being displayed in public school classrooms as required by a new state law. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill into law in April requiring the Ten Commandments and the "national motto, 'In God We Trust'" to be "prominently" displayed on posters in Arkansas classrooms and public buildings. The school mandate takes effect in August. The posters, which must meet a certain size requirement, must be donated or funded through private donations, the law states. Schools are allowed to use public funds or donations to replace any noncompliant display with a compliant display. A coalition of multi-faith families argued in their legal challenge that the religious display requirement violates their religious freedom and parental rights. Supreme Court Likely To Side With Parents In Letting Them Opt Out Of Lgbtq Storybooks, Expert Says "Permanently posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library — rendering them unavoidable — unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration, and adoption of the state's favored religious scripture," the lawsuit states. Read On The Fox News App "It also sends the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandments—or, more precisely, to the specific version of the Ten Commandments that Act 573 requires schools to display—do not belong in their own school community and pressures them to refrain from expressing any faith practices or beliefs that are not aligned with the state's religious preferences." The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the families by the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. "As American Jews, my husband and I deeply value the ability to raise our children in our faith, without interference from the government," Plaintiff Samantha Stinson said in a press release. "By imposing a Christian-centric translation of the Ten Commandments on our children for nearly every hour of every day of their public-school education, this law will infringe on our rights as parents and create an unwelcoming and religiously coercive school environment for our children." Scotus Rulings This Term Could Strengthen Religious Rights Protections, Expert Says It names four school districts in northwest Arkansas — Fayetteville, Bentonville, Siloam Springs and Springdale — as defendants. The plaintiffs are asking for a preliminary injunction to pause the implementation of the law while the lawsuit is pending, according to the ACLU. Fayetteville Public Schools, Bentonville Schools and Siloam Springs School District told Fox News Digital they do not comment on pending litigation but "it appears after reviewing the court filing, that the lawsuit aims to challenge the constitutionality of a new Arkansas law that will take effect in August rather than challenging any action taken by [the school districts named in the lawsuit]." Springdale Schools did not immediately return a request for comment. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed a similar bill into law last year which has also faced legal challenges. A federal judge temporarily blocked the measure before it was to take effect in January, calling it "unconstitutional on its face." Louisiana defended the religious display in a federal appeals court in January. The Associated Press contributed to this article source: Arkansas families sue to keep 10 Commandments out of classroom before new law takes effect
New York Post
12-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Arkansas families sue to keep 10 Commandments out of classroom before new law takes effect
Arkansas families are suing to block the 10 Commandments from being displayed in public school classrooms as required by a new state law. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill into law in April requiring the Ten Commandments and the 'national motto, 'In God We Trust'' to be 'prominently' displayed on posters in Arkansas classrooms and public buildings. Advertisement The school mandate takes effect in August. The posters, which must meet a certain size requirement, must be donated or funded through private donations, the law states. Schools are allowed to use public funds or donations to replace any noncompliant display with a compliant display. A coalition of multi-faith families argued in their legal challenge that the religious display requirement violates their religious freedom and parental rights. Advertisement 'Permanently posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library — rendering them unavoidable — unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration, and adoption of the state's favored religious scripture,' the lawsuit states. 'It also sends the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandments—or, more precisely, to the specific version of the Ten Commandments that Act 573 requires schools to display—do not belong in their own school community and pressures them to refrain from expressing any faith practices or beliefs that are not aligned with the state's religious preferences.' 3 Families in the state of Arkansas have filed a lawsuit to prevent the display of the 10 Commandments in public schools across the state, citing a new law that is set to take effect. Getty Images The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the families by the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. Advertisement 'As American Jews, my husband and I deeply value the ability to raise our children in our faith, without interference from the government,' Plaintiff Samantha Stinson said in a press release. 'By imposing a Christian-centric translation of the Ten Commandments on our children for nearly every hour of every day of their public-school education, this law will infringe on our rights as parents and create an unwelcoming and religiously coercive school environment for our children.' 3 The bill, which was signed by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, will take effect in August. AP It names four school districts in northwest Arkansas — Fayetteville, Bentonville, Siloam Springs and Springdale — as defendants. Advertisement The plaintiffs are asking for a preliminary injunction to pause the implementation of the law while the lawsuit is pending, according to the ACLU. Fayetteville Public Schools, Bentonville Schools and Siloam Springs School District told Fox News Digital they do not comment on pending litigation but 'it appears after reviewing the court filing, that the lawsuit aims to challenge the constitutionality of a new Arkansas law that will take effect in August rather than challenging any action taken by [the school districts named in the lawsuit].' 3 The families who filed the suit claim that the new law violates their religious freedom. AP Springdale Schools did not immediately return a request for comment. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed a similar bill into law last year which has also faced legal challenges. A federal judge temporarily blocked the measure before it was to take effect in January, calling it 'unconstitutional on its face.' Louisiana defended the religious display in a federal appeals court in January. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Faith Salie offers her two cents on the end of the penny
What is worthless, but priceless? Overlooked, but treasured? Ubiquitous, but ephemeral? What makes us stop in the street to transcend our pride and stoop to pick it up? It's the humble, shiny, tiny penny. The Treasury announced it will cease making new pennies by early next year. Will they disappear immediately? No. But like so many things in our lives – reliably snowy winters, face-to-face conversations, books whose pages we can turn – pennies are fading away. Before you shrug me off as a sentimental fool old enough to remember visiting the penny candy store on Cape Cod, I do understand that pennies are "outdated" and "inefficient." The government spends about 3.7 cents to make 1 penny. That's a loss of $85 million last year alone. And around half of us don't even carry cash anymore. I don't think the Tooth Fairy believes in pennies nowadays. So, canceling them makes "cents." But in a world where it seems like everyone's looking down, a penny can remind us things might be looking up ... you know, pennies from heaven? You know who was on the first penny in 1792? A woman! It was deemed un-American back then to depict a ruler on a coin, so pennies featured Lady Liberty. It wasn't until 1909 that President Lincoln's face graced the coin. His iconic profile was designed by a Lithuanian-born Jewish immigrant, Victor David Brenner, who created what's thought to be the most reproduced piece of art in history. 1943 pennies were made of zinc-coated steel, because copper was needed for World War II. Should we just throw that history away? Well, yes! As long as we imbue each toss with our wishes. "A penny for your thoughts" was coined nearly 500 years ago by Sir Thomas More, back when offering someone a penny meant their musings were really worth something. These are just my two cents, but ... nobody throws a bitcoin into a fountain. Call me a numismatic nostalgic, but in a world full of crypto and virtuality, I'll keep my eyes peeled for the tarnished, tangible, inefficient promise of luck. For more info: Story produced by Liza Monasebian. Editor: Ed Givnish. See also: Face value: Portraits on money ("Sunday Morning")Moneymakers: Artists at the U.S. Mint ("Sunday Morning") Almanac: "In God We Trust" ("Sunday Morning") The history of the penny ("Sunday Morning") The wonderfully weird world of artist Luigi Serafini Fans turn out for estate sale at home of Tom Petty Trump says Musk is "not really leaving" as DOGE savings lag behind projections
