MANOR, Texas (KXAN) — In an X post on Wednesday, State Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, said he was donating enough Ten Commandment posters to go in every classroom within Manor Independent School District.
Sen. Middleton said in the video that he donated the posters because he did not believe the elected state representative for the area, State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, would donate any posters. Talarico voted against Senate Bill 10, which requires public schools to display donated copies of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
“Children need to know God’s law in the great state of Texas,” Middleton said in his post.
Both Middleton and Talarico are seeking higher offices. Sen. Middleton joined the race to become the Texas Attorney General, and Rep. Talarico announced his run for the U.S. Senate back in September. Talarico and Middleton have not responded to KXAN about the donation.
A KXAN analysis of public records found that donors have already gifted nearly 7,000 copies of the Ten Commandments to Central Texas school districts since SB 10 went into effect Sept. 1. The donations have come from national religious groups, like Million Voices, and other private donors, including teachers and local church leaders.
Manor ISD was on fall break when Middleton announced his donation on X, but a district spokesperson told KXAN on Friday it was aware of the donation and plans to begin the distribution process when fall break ends.
“I have students that sit in my classroom that I know are Muslim and I have taught students with different religious backgrounds,” Manor Senior High School English teacher Kelly Towles said. “I don’t think that should have to be what is put up in a classroom for all students.”
The district is not a part of any current lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of SB 10, but the ACLU told KXAN it sent a letter to every school district in the state in late August warning school officials that any district that hangs the posters would be violating the First Amendment and “could be inviting additional litigation.”
Judges in two separate federal lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of SB 10 have temporarily ordered more than two dozen school districts not to display the posters since Gov. Abbott signed SB 10 into law.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia ruled that displaying the Ten Commandments on the wall of public school classrooms violates the Establishment Clause, and ordered 14 Texas school districts to remove the displays by Dec. 1.
Attorney General Ken Paxton has already sued multiple school districts, including Round Rock ISD, claiming the districts are “refusing” to hang donated copies of the Ten Commandments. At least one school district, Leander ISD, said the AG sued the district over SB 10, even though officials say they are posting donated copies of the Ten Commandments they received.