States

State Journal

August 08, 2001 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Debating the Decalogue

Legislators in North Carolina have cleared the way for schools to display the Ten Commandments, but through the lens of history, not religion.

A measure to let districts use documents associated with Christianity and Judaism, along with others “of historical significance that have formed and influenced the United States legal or governmental system and that exemplify the development of the rule of law,” was overwhelming approved by both the state Senate and House. Gov. Michael F. Easley, a Democrat, indicated he would sign the measure.

The rule was wrapped into legislation that also mandates that schools teach North Carolina history and geography and develop character education programs, starting in 2002-03.

Critics say the legislation will only encourage school districts to break the law.

“There hasn’t been a single situation where posting the Ten Commandments has been found to be permissible under the establishment clause of the First Amendment,” said Deborah K. Ross, the executive and legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, based in Raleigh.

Backers of the measure argued that students should be taught about the religious tenets that helped shape the nation.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined a request this past May to clarify under what circumstances it is constitutional to display the Ten Commandments on government property.

Advocates of displaying the commandments had urged the court to use the case involving a monument outside the Elkhart, Ind., municipal building to clarify its 1980 ruling in Stone v. Graham, which struck down a Kentucky law requiring the posting of the commandments in public schools.

Meanwhile, the Harlan County school system in Kentucky is appealing a U.S. District Court judge’s order earlier this summer requiring that the commandments be removed from the walls of public buildings.

—Kathleen Kennedy Manzo

A version of this article appeared in the August 08, 2001 edition of Education Week

Events

Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Privacy & Security Webinar
Navigating Cybersecurity: Securing District Documents and Data
Learn how K-12 districts are addressing the challenges of maintaining a secure tech environment, managing documents and data, automating critical processes, and doing it all with limited resources.
Content provided by Softdocs

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

States School Chaplain Bills Multiply, Stirring Debate on Faith-Based Counseling
Proponents say school chaplains could help address a mental health crisis. Opponents raise concerns about religious coercion.
6 min read
Image of a bible sitting on top of a school backpack.
Canva
States What's on the K-12 Agenda for States This Year? 4 Takeaways
Reading instruction, private school choice, and teacher pay are among the issues leading governors' K-12 education agendas.
6 min read
Gov. Brad Little provides his vision for the 2024 Idaho Legislative session during his State of the State address on Jan. 8, 2024, at the Statehouse in Boise.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little outlines his priorities during his State of the State address before lawmakers on Jan. 8, 2024, at the capitol in Boise.
Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP
States Q&A How Districts Can Navigate Tricky Questions Raised by Parents' Rights Laws
Where does a parent's authority stop and a school's authority begin? A constitutional law scholar weighs in.
6 min read
Illustration of dice with arrows and court/law building icons: conceptual idea of laws and authority.
Andrii Yalanskyi/iStock/Getty
States What 2024 Will Bring for K-12 Policy: 5 Issues to Watch
School choice, teacher pay, and AI will likely dominate education policy debates.
7 min read
The U.S. Capitol is seen in Washington, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. President Joe Biden on Tuesday night will stand before a joint session of Congress for the first time since voters in the midterm elections handed control of the House to Republicans.
The rising role of artificial intelligence in education and other sectors will likely be a hot topic in 2024 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, as well as in state legislatures across the country.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP