The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Friday announced it sent public records request letters to Tennessee school districts that “foolishly” display the Ten Commandments under a new law that allows them to be displayed, informing the districts that a team of nonprofits is “launching an investigation.”
According to an ACLU press release, letters were sent to records custodians at Blount County School District, Rutherford County Schools, Washington County Schools, White County Schools, and Wilson County Schools, and specifically seek “emails and other communications, as well as all board documents, regarding the display of the Ten Commandments.”
The organization has published its letters, revealing a collection of four nonprofits are additionally seeking copies of the displays, and communications that would establish whether the districts’ displays were prompted by Tennessee’s new legislation.
The four nonprofits included in the letter are the ACLU, the ACLU of Tennessee, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
“Forcing biblical scripture on public-school children violates families’ religious freedom,” said the nonprofits in a joint statement. “Families and faith communities, not the government, get to decide what role religious doctrine and belief play in their lives.”
The nonprofits stated, “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. We urge families who will be affected by these religious displays to contact our organizations.”
In addition to the Ten Commandments, Tennessee’s new law also authorizes schools to display a portion of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and preamble to the Constitution.
State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) previously argued the legislation was about history rather than religion.
“People say either you want it for religion or you want it for historic documents,” Pody said during an appearance on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show in April. “But let me tell you that it was the Judeo-Christian values that this nation was founded on, and this was one of the founding steps that they had was the 10 Commandments.”
He added that the law was designed to avoid a courtroom battle.
“We did not try and make ours… where it’s going to be a Supreme Court test,” said Pody.
Rutherford County Schools was the first district in Tennessee to approve a Ten Commandments display after the law took effect.
– – –
Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Who are funding these “4 non-profits”? If tax dollars are their revenue source, shut them off now.
I guess that I should start praying for these misguided people.
I would reply “Go to Hell” with this request from ACLU and let that be it. Period.
The ACLU trash will run to ch 2, 4 and 5 and cry about it’s unfair and these crummy stations will be on their side of course, Nashville’s crummy news stations. You do not have to cooperate with the ACLU at all. The ACLU is a Commie ru group no matter what they say. I am surprised they know what The Ten Commandments are. .
Constitution says that Congress shall pass. No law officially recognizing an official religion. It doesn’t mean that you can’t have Christianity in our schools. In fact, Congress back in the early founding of this country authorized Bibles for our School systems. Nowhere in the founding papers of this country, does it say freedom from religion? These people have misread founding fathers intentions for century.
The ACLU is a private (non-government) organization. Tell them No. Make them go through the judicial process.