NCJW Leads Multifaith Coalition Filing Amicus Briefs in Federal Cases Opposing Ten Commandments Mandates in Public Schools
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, January 21, 2026
PRESS CONTACT: press@ncjw.org
NCJW brings together diverse faith organizations to urge the Fifth Circuit to uphold religious freedom and protect families’ constitutional rights in Louisiana and Texas
WASHINGTON, DC — National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) announced that it is leading a coalition of 25 diverse faith organizations in filing amicus curiae briefs in two federal court cases being argued yesterday in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging state laws that require the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. The briefs, filed in Roake v. Brumley (Louisiana) and Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District (Texas), argue that these laws violate the First Amendment’s religious freedom protections and the separation of religion and state.
Both cases center on recent state laws requiring public schools to prominently display a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom. Federal district courts have ruled these laws unconstitutional in each state, but the Louisiana and Texas cases are now being reheard en banc by the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. NCJW plans to file a brief in a third case, Stinson v. Fayetteville School District, challenging a similar Arkansas law that will be reviewed by the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in February.
“Our democracy is centered on the promise that religious freedom belongs to everyone — which means ensuring that children are not forced to learn religious texts or teachings in our public school classrooms,” said Darcy Hirsh, vice president of government relations and advocacy at NCJW. “For Jewish families and all minority faith communities, religion-neutral public education is a constitutional protection that has allowed us to thrive and worship freely in America. These Ten Commandments mandates send a clear message to students who don’t share the state’s preferred religion: you don’t belong here. That violates everything our Constitution stands for.”
In its amicus briefs, NCJW convened a coalition of 25 diverse minority faith organizations — representing Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and other religions — to emphasize that government-mandated displays of religious scripture in public schools harm students of all faiths and no faith. The coalitions argue that these laws create an environment where children feel excluded, othered, or pressured to conform to the state’s preferred religious beliefs, and that religious instruction is the responsibility of parents and faith communities — not the government. Moreover, while the authors of these laws place the Ten Commandments at the same historical level as our founding documents, the amicus briefs remind the courts that the Ten Commandments are not; rather, they are faith-based documents, and as such unconstitutional to require in public school settings.
“Religious instruction is the job of parents, not the government. The separation of religion and state has always been about protecting every person’s right to believe — or not believe — freely, without government interference or coercion,” Hirsh said. “For the Jewish community and other minority faiths, this principle has safeguarded our ability to live and worship openly. We oppose these laws in deep alignment with our Jewish values, which teach us to honor the diversity and dignity of every person. Together with our 250,000 advocates across the country, NCJW will continue fighting against any state or federal law that attempts to subvert the longstanding constitutional wall separating religion and state by infusing religion into our public schools.”
Louisiana’s House Bill 71, struck down by the Fifth Circuit in June 2025, was found to be “plainly unconstitutional” under the Supreme Court’s 1980 precedent in Stone v. Graham, which invalidated a similar Kentucky law. The full Fifth Circuit is now rehearing the case. In Texas, a federal district court issued a preliminary injunction blocking multiple school districts from implementing Senate Bill 10, calling the law’s provisions “plainly unconstitutional.” That case is also being reheard en banc by the Fifth Circuit. In Arkansas, a federal district court blocked Act 573, finding it “obviously unconstitutional” and noting it was part of “a coordinated strategy among several states to inject Christian religious doctrine into public-school classrooms.”
NCJW previously led a coalition of 21 diverse faith organizations in filing an amicus brief opposing Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law at the Fifth Circuit panel stage. Building on that successful multifaith coalition work, NCJW is now leading similar coalitions in all three cases as they move through the federal courts. The organization remains committed to bringing together diverse voices of faith to defend the constitutional rights of students and families across the country to receive their education in religiously neutral public schools.
Access NCJW’s coalition amicus briefs here:
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National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a 133-year-old Jewish feminist civil rights organization working for equity and justice for women, children, and families in the United States and Israel. Through the efforts of our 250,000 grassroots advocates and 46 local sections, NCJW combines education, direct service, and advocacy to effect lasting social change at the local, state, and national levels. We approach our work through the intersections of gender, economic, and racial justice to center those most impacted in a uniquely Jewish way. Learn more at NCJW.org and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.