The American Jewish Committee announced on Dec. 29 that it has joined in the case opposing laws in Texas and Louisiana that require public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments.
In a statement, the AJC said it is participating in challenging the measures in “friend-of-the-court briefs before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.” A friend-of-the-court brief, also known as an amicus curiae brief, is a document filed in court by individuals or organizations who have a strong interest in the outcome of a case.
“Forcing public school classrooms to display the Protestant Christian version of the Ten Commandments is a clear violation of freedom of religion,” the organization said.
The AJC emphasized that while the Ten Commandments have historical importance, they remain a religious text “with critical differences in wording among faiths and denominations.”
The organization warned that the government-mandated display risks elevating “one faith’s version over others” and pressuring students “to conform to the religious beliefs embodied in the Commandments.”
According to the AJC, the legal effort brings together a broad interfaith coalition “of Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh organizations opposing these laws.”
The law, passed earlier this year, requires every public school classroom to post a state-approved version of the Ten Commandments. JNS previously reported that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) are leading a group of congressional Republicans asking a federal appeals court to uphold the law.
The court is scheduled to hear the appeals in January.
