Tennessee bill would allow schools to display Ten Commandments

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill holds up a mini-display showing the Ten Commandments during a press conference regarding the Ten Commandments in schools Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La. (Hilary Scheinuk/Associated Press)

A Tennessee legislator recently introduced a new bill that would allow public schools to display the Ten Commandments on school property.

State Rep. Michael Hale, R-Smithville

According to the bill, sponsored by State Rep. Michael Hale, R-Smithville, schools would be allowed to display the Ten Commandments, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Constitution of Tennessee, the Bill of Rights, or other "historically significant documents” in a “prominent location.”  The proposed legislation would also allow schools to choose the size of the display.

The legislation says the goal is to "educate students on the historical significance and common cultural heritage the documents have on the principles of the [local education agency] or public charter school, this state, or the United States of America." The move comes as Tennessee joins a handful of states in supporting a controversial Louisiana law that mandates the placement of the Ten Commandments in K-12 schools. That law will soon be reviewed by the U.S. Fifth Court of Appeals, amid ongoing legal disputes.

According to a recent report from WWL Radio New Orleans, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) leaders have since expressed opposition to the legislation and the renewed push to display the religious text in schools. They implored education officials to follow the guidance of U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles, who recently ruled that the law had an “overtly religious” purpose and advised schools against posting those documents.

“As we stand here today, the law is unconstitutional,” Alanah Odoms, ACLU’s Louisiana executive director, said in the report. “And so, I would really urge all districts to just follow that recommendation from the federal court.

“Even if certain districts were not party to our suit, we encourage them to take the guidance that the federal court has given in order to really wait to find out what’s going to happen with this case at the United States Supreme Court, because that’s where we actually believe it’s going to go.”

Hale could not be reached for comment on the legislation.