A United States federal judge has temporarily blocked a Texas law that would have required the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom.

On Wednesday, US District Judge Fred Biery issued a preliminary injunction against Senate Bill 10, which was set to take effect on September 1.

If it had gone forward, Texas would have become the largest state to mandate such displays in schools. Similar laws in Arkansas and Louisiana were also struck down recently as unconstitutional.

Judge Biery pointed to the First Amendment, which bars government endorsement of religion, saying even “passive” displays risk violating the separation of church and state.

The case was brought by parents, represented by groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Even some Christian families opposed the law, fearing that schools might promote interpretations they disagreed with.

The Texas government argued that the Commandments reflect US cultural and moral heritage. Attorney General Ken Paxton called them a “cornerstone” of society and vowed to appeal the ruling.

Biery’s decision only applies to 11 school districts named in the case, but more lawsuits are ongoing, including one involving Dallas-area schools.

Legal experts say the issue could eventually reach the Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority and has previously sided with religious expression cases — such as the 2022 ruling in Kennedy v Bremerton School District, where a football coach won the right to hold post-game prayers.