Ten Commandments monument unveiled at North Texas courthouse

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Tarrant County Ten Commandments

FORT WORTH, Texas - A monument depicting the Christian Ten Commandments has been publicly unveiled at the Tarrant County courthouse. 

The crowd attending the unveiling included supporters of the move, as well as critics who showed up to support the separation of church and state. 

Ten Commandments at Tarrant County courthouse

The monument was revealed at 2 p.m. Friday. A panel of speakers, including Kelly Shackelford, President & CEO of First Liberty Institute, and Tim Barton, President of WallBuilders, delivered remarks before the unveiling. 

The monument is the result of a 2025 Commissioners Court vote to accept a donation from the American History and Heritage Foundation for that purpose.

What they're saying:

"The Tarrant County Courthouse, constructed in 1895, is a landmark building in downtown Fort Worth. The Ten Commandments monument acknowledges the principles that shaped America’s history, making it a perfect addition to the courthouse grounds," said Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare. 

Critics attend unveiling

The other side:

Part of the crowd in attendance carried signs protesting the addition of the monument. One of the protesters, Pastor Ryon Price of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, told reporters he was there to support the Constitution's First Amendment. 

"We are of a very similar mind here with the Faith and Justice Coalition of Tarrant County that this monument is unnecessary and really violates the inclusive spirit of being a country where no religion is established or prejudiced," Price said. "And so we are a number of clergy that believe that. And we've come out here today to bear witness to that fact."

Signs appearing at the unveiling included phrases like "Vote White Christian Nationalism out of office," Thou shalt not covet my county," and "Thou shalt not kill Anthony Johnson Jr."

The latter refers to a Tarrant County Jail inmate who died in custody in 2024, prompting murder charges for two jailers and a lawsuit by the victim's family members. 

Ten Commandments in Texas schools

Dig deeper:

The monument follows another Texas movement to display the Christian rules in a public area. As part of last year's legislative cycle, lawmakers mandated that every public school classroom in the state display the Ten Commandments. The bill was approved by Gov. Abbott in late June.

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Texas families of different faiths sue over law requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms

Sixteen Texas families of different faiths have filed a lawsuit looking to block a state law that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in school classrooms.

The law requires a "durable poster or framed copy" of the Ten Commandments be posted in each classroom. The copies would need to be at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall and "in a size and typeface that is legible to a person with average vision from anywhere in the classroom."

The bill faced some opposition before passage. Amendments allowing school boards to vote on their involvement or allowing other codes of ethics from other religions were shot down in the House. The act took effect on Sept. 1.

A federal judge later decided that the law is in violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution and ordered some districts to remove the posters from their classrooms.