Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened a new front in the fight over religion in public schools, suing Round Rock and Leander Independent School Districts after both declined to post donated Ten Commandments displays in classrooms, according to court filings. The lawsuits, filed in Williamson County’s 425th District Court, accuse the school boards and trustees of refusing to follow Senate Bill 10 and fold into a growing statewide battle over whether the state can force classrooms to display a specific religious text.
Paxton Says Districts Are Flouting State Law
In a press release, the Attorney General’s Office said it filed suit against the districts and their board members for “openly refusing to comply” with the law. The Office of the Attorney General quoted Paxton calling the school leaders “rogue ISD officials” who, he argued, “blatantly disregarded the will of Texas voters.”
Districts Hit Pause While Lawyers Weigh In
Round Rock spokeswoman Anne Drabicky confirmed the district declined to post the donated posters while it waited for further legal guidance, and Leander ISD did not immediately return requests for comment, according to reporting from the Austin American-Statesman. The Statesman also notes the suits were filed in Williamson County’s 425th District Court.
What Senate Bill 10 Actually Demands
Senate Bill 10, authored by Sen. Phil King, requires schools to accept and display a specific donated 16-by-20-inch English version of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom and took effect Sept. 1. Lawmakers also included language saying the state would cover legal fees if districts are sued over compliance, according to The Texas Tribune.
Federal Judge Hits Pause For Some Districts
A federal judge in San Antonio temporarily blocked the law for 11 districts earlier this year, finding the requirement likely violates the First Amendment by effectively coercing students to observe a single faith, according to the ACLU. Court records compiled by the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse show Austin ISD was dismissed as a defendant after agreeing not to post Ten Commandments posters while the litigation moves forward.
Attorney General Keeps Turning Up The Heat
Paxton has moved aggressively to enforce SB 10, suing Galveston ISD earlier this month and issuing legal guidance telling districts that are not part of the San Antonio case to hang donated copies, the Attorney General’s Office said in a recent release. His office has framed the requirement as a historical and moral measure and has said it will pursue enforcement wherever courts have not blocked the law.
Poster Donations Flood In As Districts Scramble
Donations of posters have poured into districts across Texas, and local reporting showed families and conservative groups provided thousands of copies around Central Texas, including a large drop-off in Round Rock, even as some boards opted to wait for court guidance, according to reporting compiled by Quorum Report. That scramble has left districts squeezed between political pressure from Austin and unresolved federal court rulings.
Appeals Court Showdown On The Horizon
The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is scheduled to hear arguments on the Ten Commandments cases in January 2026, according to TexEdNews. If the appeals court rules against the state, the matter is likely to head to the U.S. Supreme Court given the constitutional questions at stake, legal analysts told The Texas Tribune.
Parents, Teachers And Trustees Stuck In Limbo
For now, Round Rock says it will wait for legal advice before taking any action, and Leander has not publicly commented, leaving classrooms in both districts in a holding pattern. Parents, teachers and trustees should expect a steady stream of hearings and filings in the coming months as state and federal courts decide whether SB 10 survives constitutional review.
