Hey r/legaladvice! Apologies in advance if this is the wrong sub to ask for advice. I work as a secondary math teacher for a school district in Northeast Texas (Location: Texas). As I hope many of you can understand, for the sake of my own job, I would prefer not to be more specific about my location.
Earlier today, our district sent out an email informing all staff how new laws (e.g. HB 1481, SB 12, and SB 10) would impact our schools. In regards to SB 10, which requires schools to display a copy of the Ten Commandments in every classroom, the email specifically mentioned that “[the Ten Commandments] is the only religious text that will be permitted to be displayed in [our district’s] classrooms,” unless otherwise tied to an appropriate TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) standard.
As a math teacher who strongly believes the Ten Commandments do not belong in my classroom for any reason whatsoever, I want to know what my options are for legally ‘protesting’ this new law? What other posters can I hang in my classroom (i.e. a First Amendment poster) without worry of serious/legal repercussions and what other recourses do I have?
Thanks in advance! 🙂
Comments
You should get a copy of the constitution to hang by it. Then take colored yarn and string it between them indicating which of them are unconstitutional.
Real question: are you willing to risk your job over this?
Malicious Compliance. Post the Ten Commandments in the original Hebrew.
Letter of the law still met.
Hang it in the original language. Also put up the bill of rights in their original language. Ask the kids to analyze the First Amendment, asking what THEY think the Framers meant.
what are the specifications for the signage? where must it be displayed?
If the answer is “doesn’t say,” I’d go with 2pt font and tape it close to the floor.
Start discussing “You shall not commit adultery” and Trump’s 3 marriages.
Does the law dictate how large and/or where it needs to be displayed?
Can you print it onto a 3×5 index card and put it near your desk, or ‘behind’ the pencil sharpener, on the side of a bookshelf, etc so that it is mostly out of sight?
Post other Bible verses too
Numbers 31:18 all the little women children who have not laid with another man keep alive for yourselves
There are dozens of these from how to beat your wife to sleeping with your sister
Hang it next to the lyrics of Ten Duel Commandments from Hamilton and Ten Crack Commandments from Biggie.
You can refuse to comply. If terminated, you can sue for wrongful termination.
I’d display this on a larger poster right next it:
The First Amendment, which the Fourteenth makes applicable to the states, declares that
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press . . .”
—Murdock v. Pennsylvania, 319 U.S. 105 (1943)
Post it in sanskrit.
Someone posted the text of the bill and the poster requirements are pretty specific. Hoping some smarties can find loopholes that work. Printing it on a 3×5 or in Hebrew won’t work. It does say if you don’t have one you have to accept any privately donated one, maybe there’s something in that.
Fuck the bible thumpers that think this is appropriate. I hope this nets more kids turning AWAY from white Jesus rather than whatever these cavemen think will happen.
Instead of trying to circumvent the law, you run for the state house or senate, get elected and successfully get the law repealed or changed. Show kids the right way to do things. We are not a nation of criminals and by trying to end run around this you will be exactly that.
In any other state, I would say, get ready to be tied up in a legal quagmire if any of your students are of a different religion. But it’s Texas and the 5th circuit has no problem with white national christian dogma being force upon the kids.
The famous Norman Rockwell paintings ‘the four freedoms’
Hang it upside down in the top corner of the room
The sad reality is this is to big for you or any one teacher to realistically take on. I would recommend you form a group of like minded teachers, then as a group reach out the the ACLU of Texas
Here is there contact form
If they aren’t interested, I would try the Institute for Justice
Failing that, you should start looking for civil rights attorneys or first amendment attorneys.
Understand that as a single teacher you are very limited on your impact. But as a group, you have a lot more power.
Hang it upside down !
In the interest of keeping your job, I would definitely display them as mandated in the law.
BUT could you also post context nearby? “This is being posted as a legal requirement, and does not necessarily reflect the views and religious beliefs of this school”, etc. And/or post information about freedom of religion, freedom of speech, separation of church and state, implying but maybe not outright accusing this requirement of being unconstitutional.
Display them in Hebrew.
Put it up and teach the relevant parts. Don’t lie, don’t cheat, respect authority. Teach that other religions and morals have the same beliefs. Sure, you’re required to post it, but you can show the kids that other religions and people have good beliefs.
Hang the required Ten Commandments alongside lots of other non-religious Ten Commandments. There have to be a million non-religious Ten Commandments of math/school/whatever out there
Do exactly as the law says. Then hang a copy of the Declaration of Independence beside it. If it’s good enough to hang in Trump’s office, it’s good enough to hang in your school room…and it’s not a religious text!
Have it written in cursive. I hear kids aren’t taught that nowadays and they might as well believe it was a foreign language.
Hang a “thou shalt not commit logical fallacies” poster next to it!
It’s an infographic featuring Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. It explains a bunch of logical fallacies. It’s not religious at all, and will turn students into better critical thinkers.
Have students research politicians who have broken various commandments and add post it notes next to each commandment with a growing list of names.
Depending on what grade, let parents know you will be spending x number of days explaining in detail what each of the commandments means. It will negatively impact standardized test scores, but oh well.