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Tennessee House passes bill allowing Ten Commandments displays in schools

Students work under Ten Commandments and Bill of Rights posters on display in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas. A bill to allow Ten Commandments displays in Tennessee public schools is one step closer to law after House Republicans approved the measure on Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Students work under Ten Commandments and Bill of Rights posters on display in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas. A bill to allow Ten Commandments displays in Tennessee public schools is one step closer to law after House Republicans approved the measure on Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Students work under Ten Commandments and Bill of Rights posters on display in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas. A bill to allow Ten Commandments displays in Tennessee public schools is one step closer to law after House Republicans approved the measure on Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

By Melissa Brown / Chalkbeat Tennessee 2 min read

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

Tennessee House Republicans on Thursday approved a bill allowing, though not requiring, public schools to display the Ten Commandments.

Supporters of the bill have argued the language from the Christian Bible is a foundational historical document relevant to K-12 education across the state. House Democrats pushed back on Thursday, arguing the measure raises constitutional concerns and infringes on the rights of students who may not practice Christianity.

“If you want to have religion in schools, there are private schools that kids can go to,” Rep. Justin Pearson, a Democrat from Memphis, said Thursday. “In fact, this body passed vouchers to allow for kids to go to private religious schools, using public money to do so.”

Supporters of Tennessee’s proposed law say it can withstand constitutional questions because public schools can choose whether or not to display the language from the Christian Bible. The law also treats the Ten Commandments as a historical document, aligning it with the U.S. or Tennessee Constitution.