Historically, the Constitutional principle of separation of church and state, anchored in the First Amendment, has guided how public schools manage religion.
By Matthew A. McIntosh
Public Historian
Brewminate
Introduction
Across the United States, efforts by Christian nationalists to infuse religion into public education are facing growing resistance. From rescinded mandates to blocked legislation, a number of state officials, educators, and judges are drawing firm lines around the constitutional separation of church and state. Recent developments in Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, and Colorado reflect a shifting tide, one where local and state leaders are countering political pressure to embed religious doctrine in classrooms.
Oklahoma’s new state superintendent has reversed a controversial Bible instruction mandate. In Texas, teachers are openly and quietly resisting a new law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments, even as a federal court ruling halted enforcement in some districts. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Nebraska have rejected a sweeping education bill after attempts to add religion-based measures, and Colorado’s public schools are continuing to protect access to diverse books despite calls for bans from conservative groups.
Together, these developments mark an emerging pattern: as religious activists seek to redefine public education around their faith, institutions at every level are reasserting the constitutional boundary that has defined American schooling for generations.
Oklahoma: Bible Mandate Reversed
In Oklahoma, a dramatic policy shift unfolded after newly appointed State Superintendent Lindel Fields rescinded his predecessor Ryan Walters’ directive that would have required public schools to teach the Bible as a historical document. Walters’ order, issued earlier this year, instructed teachers to incorporate scripture into lessons on Western civilization and government, a move that immediately sparked lawsuits and widespread criticism from educators and civil liberties groups.
Fields withdrew the mandate this month, citing concerns over constitutional violations and the potential misuse of classroom authority for religious purposes. He emphasized that Oklahoma schools “must remain inclusive spaces for students of all backgrounds” and reaffirmed that curriculum decisions should be guided by state standards, not sectarian influence.
The reversal marks a notable victory for advocates of secular education who had warned that Walters’ policy blurred the line between teaching history and promoting religion. Legal experts said that Fields’ decision may help shield the state from costly litigation under the Establishment Clause, the constitutional protection separating church and state that has guided decades of Supreme Court precedent.
Texas: Ten Commandments Law Sparks Resistance
In Texas, the passage of Senate Bill 10 (S.B. 10) has ignited fierce push-back from teachers, parents and civil-liberties groups. The law mandates that every public elementary and secondary school classroom display a specific English version of the Ten Commandments in a framed poster or copy at least 16 × 20 inches, with the caption “in a conspicuous place in each classroom.”
Supporters say the Commandments reflect “America’s moral and legal heritage” and see the law as restoring religious values in public education. But the measure has triggered multiple lawsuits, resistance from teachers and a preliminary federal court block in key districts.
Civil-rights organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas argue the law violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause by advancing a specific version of scripture in public classrooms. On August 20, 2025, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued a preliminary injunction against enforcement of S.B. 10 in at least 11 school districts, including in Houston and Austin, finding that the requirement “likely violates” both the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses.
Meanwhile, some teachers are actively resisting. An East Texas educator recently resigned in protest, declaring: “I believe very strongly that politics and religion have no place in the public schools.” Others are quietly delaying implementation or contextualizing the posters by including broader religious-and-secular materials alongside them.
While S.B. 10 took effect on September 1, 2025, the legal battle and on-the-ground resistance are likely to delay or alter its actual implementation across Texas classrooms.
Nebraska: Legislative Push Fails
In Nebraska, an effort to weave religion into public education collapsed earlier this year after lawmakers rejected a sweeping school policy package. The bill, which bundled numerous education proposals, fell apart when its sponsors attempted to include provisions allowing or encouraging Bible instruction and other faith-based elements in classrooms.
Debate over the bill became heated as senators objected to what they described as a clear violation of the state and federal constitutions. One measure within the package would have permitted schools to post religious texts or symbols as part of “heritage education,” language critics said was a thinly veiled attempt to introduce Christian nationalism into public schooling.
The legislative breakdown was decisive: moderate and progressive lawmakers joined to block the package, citing both constitutional and practical concerns. Some said that the inclusion of religious language “crossed a line” and risked undermining public confidence in secular education. The bill’s failure underscores how, even in largely conservative states, overt efforts to legislate religious doctrine in classrooms are encountering bipartisan resistance.
Colorado: Libraries and Curricula Hold the Line
In Colorado, the push to impose religious or moral restrictions on public education has met strong resistance from both lawmakers and educators. Recent legislative changes are reinforcing inclusivity and intellectual freedom rather than narrowing it. New state laws have clarified that local school boards cannot remove books simply because of objections to their themes, characters, or viewpoints, including materials that some conservative Christian groups have targeted as “immoral” or “anti-family.”
The new framework, signed by Governor Jared Polis, strengthens protections for school librarians and teachers who have faced organized campaigns to remove books addressing race, gender, or sexuality. It also reaffirms the state’s position that curriculum and library decisions must remain secular, student-centered, and compliant with constitutional standards.
Educators say the measures represent a broader rejection of politically motivated censorship. By upholding access to diverse materials and reaffirming academic independence, Colorado’s policies contrast sharply with the wave of religiously framed educational mandates emerging elsewhere. In doing so, the state has positioned itself as a counterpoint to the Christian nationalist agenda, reinforcing the principle that public education must serve every student, not any single creed.
National Trend and Historical Context
The efforts unfolding in Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, and Colorado are not isolated skirmishes; they form part of a broader battle over how religion, identity and schooling intersect in the United States.
The ideology often labelled Christian nationalism, the belief that the United States is fundamentally a Christian nation and that public institutions should reflect Christian values, has increasingly targeted public education as a key terrain. For example, a nationwide survey found that about 10% of Americans identify as “Adherents” of Christian nationalism and another 20% as “Sympathizers.”
In practical terms, this translates into school policy proposals ranging from mandatory Bible instruction and Ten Commandments displays, to “patriotic education” initiatives that emphasize Judeo-Christian roots and downplay social justice or pluralistic perspectives.
Historically, the Constitutional principle of separation of church and state, anchored in the First Amendment, has guided how public schools manage religion: student-led prayer is permissible, but state-sponsored religious instruction or endorsement is not. The recent state-level battles reflect that tension in real time: proponents argue they are restoring what they view as America’s moral foundations, while opponents argue these efforts risk privileging one religion and excluding many students.
What is clear from the state-by-state developments is that while religious-educational agendas are emboldened, so too is resistance. In some fashion, each of the scenes cited shows a check on the religious-infusion project: Oklahoma’s new superintendent rescinding a mandate, Texas courts blocking or slowing classroom displays of the Ten Commandments, Nebraska legislators rejecting religious provisions, and Colorado reinforcing library and curricular protections.
As these struggles proceed, the key questions for public education will include:
- Who determines what is “moral heritage” versus what is sectarian religious content?
- How do schools balance neutrality and inclusivity while acknowledging students’ diverse faith backgrounds?
- What role will courts and state policy play in shaping how religion appears (or doesn’t appear) in public classrooms?
In short, the unfolding back-and-forth in states like Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska and Colorado is less an isolated policy burst and more a reflection of a nationwide contest over whether public education remains a secular space open to all, or becomes a vehicle for reaffirming one particular religious vision of America.
Originally published by Brewminate, 10.24.2025, under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license.
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