Arkansas
Federal judge bars Arkansas public schools from displaying the Ten Commandments
The federal judge called the law ‘obviously unconstitutional’ and said passing it was likely part of a coordinated strategy to inject Christian religious doctrine into public schools.
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The Texas House of Representatives passed a bill that would require the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom in the state.
unbranded – Newsworthy
A federal judge on Aug. 4 barred several Arkansas school districts from implementing what he described as a “plainly unconstitutional” state law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in their classrooms and libraries.
The preliminary injunction, a temporary measure that maintains the status quo until a court hears the merits of the case, was issued a day before Arkansas Act 573 was set to go into effect.
U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Brooks wrote that the Protestant displays would unconstitutionally violate the right to free exercise of religion as well as the Establishment Clause, a provision of the First Amendment that prohibits the government from favoring religion over non-religion.
He noted that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a “nearly identical” law in Kentucky in 1980.
“Why would Arkansas pass an obviously unconstitutional law?” he wrote. “Most likely because the State is part of a coordinated strategy among several states to inject Christian religious doctrine into public-school classrooms.”
He went on to say that such states, including Louisiana and Texas, may be taking such measures in light of the Supreme Court’s recent rulings in favor of religious expression and accommodation in public spaces.
Several civil liberties groups – Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, the ACLU and the Freedom From Religion Foundation – and the New York-based law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP are representing the plaintiffs, a group of multifaith families with children in Arkansas public schools.
The Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville and Siloam Springs school districts are defendants in the case. The state of Arkansas, on behalf of Attorney General Tim Griffin, is listed as an intervenor in the case – a third party who’s not part of the original lawsuit but requests to get involved.
Following Brooks’ order, Griffin told Axios he was “reviewing the court’s order and assessing our legal options.”
Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders also disagreed with the order.
“In Arkansas, we do in fact believe that murder is wrong and stealing is bad,” Sanders told Axios. “It is entirely appropriate to display the Ten Commandments – the basis of all Western law and morality – as a reminder to students, state employees and every Arkansan who enters a government building.”
BrieAnna Frank is a First Amendment Reporting Fellow at USA TODAY. Reach her at bjfrank@usatoday.com.
USA TODAY’s coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
Arkansas
OPINION | WALLY HALL: Arkansas will need more than Robinson’s coerced contribution | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Wally Hall
Wally Hall is assistant managing sports editor for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A graduate of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock after an honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force, he is a member and past president of the Football Writers Association of America, member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, past president and current executive committee and board member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and voter for the Heisman Trophy. He has been awarded Arkansas Sportswriter of the Year 10 times and has been inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and Arkansas Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame.
Will Garrett Nussmeier’s size hold him back in the NFL?
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier will look to impress scouts at the NFL Combine despite size concerns.
Move over, Anthony Richardson. There’s a new quarterback athletic marvel at the NFL scouting combine.
On Saturday in Indianapolis, Arkansas’ Taylen Green broke Richardson’s top marks at the position since 2003 for both the vertical leap and broad jump. Green’s 43½-inch vertical topped Richardson’s previous high by three inches, while his 11-2 broad jump beat the Indianapolis Colts signal-caller’s measurement by five inches.
Then, Green reeled off a 4.36-second 40-yard dash time. That stood as the second-best time for any quarterback since 2003, trailing only Reggie McNeal in 2006 (4.35 seconds). Richardson, for comparison, logged a 4.43-second mark in 2023.
Green didn’t even bother with a second attempt after his initial time.
The testing profile created quite the stir around the 6-6, 227-pound passer, who had widely projected as a developmental option for teams on Day 3.
NFL Network’s Charles Davis said Green told him that no teams had approached him about working out as a receiver, adding that he would not be interested in a position switch.
Green started for the Razorbacks for the last two seasons after playing the first three years of his career at Boise State. Known for his running ability and ample arm strength, Green threw for 2,714 yards and 19 touchdowns last year while adding 777 yards and eight scores on the ground.
It was a banner day for Arkansas, as running back Mike Washington Jr. also stood out among his peers with a group-leading 4.33-second 40-yard dash as well as strong marks in the vertical leap (39 inches) and broad jump (10-8).
Rex Nelson
Rex Nelson has been senior editor and columnist at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 2017, and he has a biweekly podcast called “Southern Fried.”
After graduating from Ouachita Baptist University in 1981, he was a sportswriter for the Arkansas Democrat for a year before becoming editor of Arkadelphia’s Daily Siftings Herald. He was the youngest editor of a daily in Arkansas at age 23. Rex was then news and sports director at KVRC-KDEL from 1983-1985.
He returned to the Democrat as assistant sports editor in 1985. From 1986-1989, he was its Washington correspondent. He left to be Jackson T. Stephens’ consultant.
Rex became the Democrat-Gazette’s first political editor in 1992, but left in 1996 to join then-Gov. Mike Huckabee’s office. He also served from 2005-09 in the administration of President George W. Bush.
From 2009-2018, he worked stints at the Communications Group, Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities, and Simmons First National Corp.
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