Regarding the Display of the National Motto and the Ten Commandments

The ACLU of Arkansas strongly opposes legislation requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in every public building, including school classrooms, in Arkansas. This bill is a clear violation of students’ religious freedom and the First Amendment.

Public schools are for education — not religious indoctrination. Forcing a state-selected version of religious scripture into classrooms pressures students to conform or risk being treated as outsiders. Families — not the government — have the right to decide what, if any, religious beliefs their children adopt.

This bill contradicts decades of Supreme Court precedent, including Stone v. Graham (1980), which struck down a nearly identical law. Courts have repeatedly affirmed that public schools cannot promote religious doctrine.

Arkansas politicians are overstepping by choosing one version of the Ten Commandments and imposing it on all students. Government officials are not theologians, and they have no place deciding religious truth.

Our lawmakers should focus on improving educational outcomes — not using classrooms to promote religious agendas. The ACLU of Arkansas will continue to defend every student’s right to learn in an inclusive, welcoming environment free from religious coercion.