Seven Years Later, Still No End in Sight for Lawsuit Over Arkansas’ Ten Commandments Monument

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Above: Former Sen. Jason Rapert and then-Rep. Kim Hammer unveil Arkansas’ monument commemorating the Ten Commandments in this file photo from 2018. Atheist organizations filed a lawsuit to have the monument removed, but the case has remained in limbo for seven years.

Today marks the seventh anniversary of a lawsuit over Arkansas’ monument of the Ten Commandments on the state capitol lawn — and there does not seem to be any end in sight.

A decade ago, the Arkansas Legislature passed Act 1231 of 2015 by former Sen. Jason Rapert and then-Rep. Kim Hammer.

Act 1231 authorized placement of a privately funded monument of the Ten Commandments on the Arkansas Capitol Building grounds. Forty state legislators co-sponsored Act 1231. It received strong, bipartisan support, and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson signed Act 1231 into law.

Arkansas’ monument of the Ten Commandments — which is identical to one the U.S. Supreme Court ruled constitutional at the capitol building in Texas — was unveiled in 2018. But it did not take long for atheist groups like the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the Satanic Temple to file a federal lawsuit to have it removed.

The case began May 23, 2018, and it originally was set to go to trial in July of 2020. But U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker postponed the trial due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, both sides in the lawsuit have asked Judge Baker to resolve the case, but the case remains in legal limbo.

As we have said many times, there shouldn’t be anything controversial about a monument honoring the significance of the Ten Commandments.

Historians have long recognized the Ten Commandments as one of the earliest examples of the rule of law in human history, and they have helped shape philosophy and laws in countries around the world.

That’s why the Ten Commandments traditionally has appeared in artwork at courthouses and similar locations. In fact, last month Arkansas passed a law to place posters of the Ten Commandments in public schools and public buildings across the state.

Arkansas’ monument of the Ten Commandments commemorates their historical and cultural legacy. With that in mind, we believe our federal courts eventually will resolve this lawsuit and uphold Arkansas’ Ten Commandments monument as constitutional.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Released Time Curricula and Programs in Arkansas

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Last week we wrote about released time at Arkansas’ public schools.

Legally in America, public schools may set aside released time during the school week for students to voluntarily attend religious classes off-campus.

Released time makes it possible for students to be excused from school so they can attend Bible studies or other religious classes during normal school hours.

Released time programs have been in operation for over 100 years across the U.S.

The number of students participating in released time programs is growing rapidly as more people become aware of it and find new resources that help educate them on starting programs in their communities.

Released time programs are typically conducted throughout grades K-12, and they normally last 30 minutes to an hour one school day a week. Some programs break up that hour throughout the week. Scheduling is typically determined by the group and the school.

Volunteers in Gravette have taught the Bible to students for over 70 years in multiple ways, including released time conducted off-campus. In 2007 the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette wrote about the program, saying, “The tiny building [where released time takes place], which has the word Logos etched above the door, sits on a 50-foot wide piece of private property wedged between Glen Duffy Elementary and Gravette Upper Elementary School.”

Other released time programs exist in Arkansas, either independently or through organizations like School Ministries or LifeWise who provide curricula to local groups.

School Ministries has been in operation since 1991 and has helped hundreds — if not thousands — of communities “start, sustain and grow Released Time Bible Education (RTBE) programs — the only legal means to teach the Bible both academically and devotionally in the time between the first and last bell.” Breaking ground in 2019, LifeWise has also assisted parents, pastors, and faith leaders in providing a “structured, plug-and-play” model which provides communities all the tools to launch and maintain an effective program while limiting administrative duties.” Both of these programs provide beneficial help for starting and maintaining a released time program.

H.B. 1139 by Rep. Brit McKenzie (R — Rogers) and Sen. Joshua Bryant (R — Rogers) would have written released time into Arkansas law and clarified how public schools may excuse students for released time during school hours. Unfortunately, the bill failed to pass this year, but schools in Arkansas are still free to offer released time to students under federal court rulings.

Family Council hopes to work with state and local policymakers in the future to promote released time programs and pass a measure writing released time into Arkansas law.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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