The lawsuit was submitted on Wednesday by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. These groups are representing parents from various religious backgrounds who argue that the law violates the constitutional separation of church and state.

Act 573, signed into law by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in April, mandates that schools post a version of the Ten Commandments approved by the state. The legislation also requires the display of the national motto, "In God We Trust," in the same areas of public schools, including libraries and classrooms.

The plaintiffs argue the law imposes a particular religious viewpoint on students and staff in public schools. They contend that the required version is grounded in Protestant Christianity and ignores other religious traditions or nonreligious perspectives.

According to the legal complaint, the display forces children, especially those who are not Christian, to interact with a religious doctrine during their school day. The complaint emphasizes that this may lead students to feel pressured into religious practices or silence their personal beliefs to conform to state-imposed materials.

Lawsuit Highlights Religious and Parental Concerns

“Act 573 is not neutral,” states the official lawsuit, which outlines how the law mandates the display of scripture that reflects a specific sense of religious morality. It also emphasizes that the required text represents a single theological interpretation, which it says gives preference to one denomination over others.

The law’s requirement to include a “state-approved, Protestant version” of the Ten Commandments is at the center of the legal opposition. The groups argue this choice of content effectively promotes a religious denomination in spaces where religious neutrality is expected.

“Students who do not subscribe to the state’s version,” the complaint explains, “may feel pressure to adopt beliefs that conflict with their own, or to hide their religious or nonreligious identities in public school settings.” The plaintiffs argue that this contradicts fundamental First Amendment protections.

Supporters Cite Historical and Moral Value

Act 573 had strong backing in the Arkansas Legislature, with the state Senate passing it by a 27-4 vote and the House of Representatives approving it 71-20. Republican State Sen. Jim Dotson was one of the law’s main supporters and emphasized its value as a historic and moral guide.

Speaking in March, Dotson said that the Ten Commandments include foundational principles such as prohibitions against theft and murder, which he believes benefit all students. “It is a historical reference point that promotes values to help guide individuals to live good lives,” he told local media outlet KATV.

Dotson dismissed concerns about unconstitutionality by pointing to recent shifts in judicial interpretation. He noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has refined its approach over time and argued that the display does not inherently amount to endorsing religion.

National Attention and Legal Precedents

This Arkansas case mirrors a similar legal fight over a comparable law passed last year in Louisiana. That legislation is also being challenged by the same organizations for resembling state endorsement of a single faith tradition.

Opposition groups argue these laws are part of coordinated efforts by Christian nationalist campaigns to promote certain religious views through state policy. They assert that doing so can erode protections meant to ensure freedom of — and from — religion in public life.

Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United, said in a statement that decisions about a child’s religious exposure should rest with families, not lawmakers. “The Constitution promises church-state separation so that families — not politicians — decide how kids engage with religion in school,” she said.

Supreme Court History Adds Complexity

Critics of the law also point to the 1980 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Stone v. Graham, which struck down a Kentucky law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public schools. In that ruling, the Court determined such laws violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

The precedent poses a challenge for Arkansas lawmakers defending Act 573, though the legal landscape has evolved significantly since 1980. Supporters of the law believe the current U.S. Supreme Court may take a different view in light of recent rulings that have favored religious expression in certain public contexts.

Despite this, the legal plaintiffs argue that Act 573 infringes on students' religious liberties by introducing a particular faith-based text into a secular educational environment. They are seeking to have the law blocked before its scheduled implementation in August.