Yesterday, Tarrant County commissioners narrowly voted 3-2 to hire conservative legal group First Liberty Institute to defend the county’s Ten Commandments monument, escalating a fight that has already split local officials and drawn big crowds of both backers and protesters to the historic 1895 courthouse lawn.
The contract with First Liberty passed on a 3-2 vote, with Commissioners Roderick Miles Jr. and Alisa Simmons opposed, according to the Fort Worth Report. The agreement authorizes the firm to handle correspondence and any legal response tied to claims that the monument violates the First Amendment.
How the Monument Landed and the Early Pushback
The marble Ten Commandments marker was privately donated and unveiled in January at a ceremony that drew hundreds of supporters and protesters, as detailed by KERA News. The American History & Heritage Foundation coordinated the donation, and county officials said when they accepted it last year that ongoing upkeep would be privately funded.
Within days of the unveiling, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a Jan. 20 letter to county leaders arguing the stand-alone display is unconstitutional and should be removed. The letter, posted by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, cited McCreary County v. ACLU and warned that litigation was a realistic possibility.
First Liberty, County Records and Local Ties
First Liberty Institute representatives attended the monument’s dedication and later issued a press release praising its placement, arguing the Ten Commandments carries “both religious and secular significance” and applauding commissioners for approving it, according to First Liberty Institute. The group said it would assist the county. County meeting documents show the donation itself was formally accepted by the Commissioners Court in April 2025, according to Tarrant County records.
Legal Stakes for Taxpayers and the Court
Legal observers note that long-running precedent in Ten Commandments cases can be unpredictable and potentially costly. The Freedom From Religion Foundation has pointed to cases where similar displays were struck down when judges found no clear secular purpose. That warning was explicit in the group’s Jan. 20 letter, according to the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Commissioner Alisa Simmons has argued that hiring a religious-liberty firm could make it look like the county is establishing Christianity and could expose taxpayers to legal risk, a concern reported by KERA News.
Supporters of bringing in First Liberty frame the move as a precaution, saying the county should have specialized counsel ready if a lawsuit lands. Critics counter that the hire itself deepens community divisions over the monument. Some commissioners said they do not expect immediate litigation but wanted legal help crafting a response to the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s demand, the Fort Worth Report noted. The dispute now appears headed either for more local negotiation or, failing that, for a federal courtroom, and residents on both sides say they will be watching the next steps closely.
