Plans to display the Ten Commandments in public schools across Tennessee are facing scrutiny from civil liberties groups amid a growing national battle over the place of Christianity in US education.
Five school districts are being investigated by a coalition including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom From Religion Foundation after announcing plans for Ten Commandments displays.
The move follows a new Tennessee law allowing the biblical commandments to be displayed prominently in public schools alongside historical documents including the US Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence.
Under the legislation, displays can be placed in areas where pupils are likely to see them, including school entrances, cafeterias and other communal spaces.
Rutherford County has already approved a design for plaques to be installed across its 53 schools. The metal signs are expected to cost around $12,400 (£9,200) in total, with $7,000 raised through private donations.
The coalition has now submitted records requests to Rutherford County and four other school districts as it investigates how the law is being implemented.
In a joint statement, the organisations argued that decisions about religious belief should remain with families rather than the state.
“Families and faith communities, not the government, get to decide what role religious doctrine and belief play in their lives,” they said.
“We are committed to protecting students’ and parents’ constitutional rights and are launching an investigation of every school district that foolishly accepts the state’s invitation to trample those rights.”
Nancy Noet, a litigation attorney with the Freedom From Religion Foundation, said the organisations had been contacted by families concerned about the displays.
“We're challenging similar, but not identical, laws in other states, and at the end of the day, we're challenging them as unconstitutional,” she told The Tennessean.
“We've not brought that challenge in Tennessee, because we don't know what they're going to do, and the law is different. But in general, it's our position that forcing biblical scripture on public school, impressionable children violates the family's religious freedoms.”
The records requests do not mean legal action will necessarily follow, with Noet describing the process as “information gathering”.
Supporters of the Tennessee law argue that the Ten Commandments have historical as well as religious significance.
The legislation refers to restoring “the traditional recognitions of our religious heritage”, while its sponsor has argued that the commandments can be presented in the context of history, ethics, civilisation and other secular subjects.
The dispute forms part of a wider legal battle over Ten Commandments displays in American public schools.
Similar measures have faced court challenges in several states, including Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.
The issue has also become part of a broader debate in Tennessee over Christianity's place in public education.
Other recent proposals have included measures relating to Bible education and prayer in schools, while lawmakers passed the Charlie Kirk Heritage Act earlier this year, which promotes teaching about the “historical, positive impact of religion on American history” and the influence of “Judeo-Christian values”.
Additional reporting from Reuters/USA TODAY Network
