The FFRF Action Fund bestows its “Secularist of the Week” award to U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler for reaffirming his commitment to the constitutional separation of state and church.
Last week, a federal judge in Texas halted the state’s Ten Commandments law, which was due to require every classroom to display the religious doctrine by Sept. 1, for the 11 school districts named in Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District. The lawsuit was filed by 16 multifaith Texas families, represented by the FFRF Action Fund’s parent organization, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The federal court decision stated that the law is “plainly unconstitutional.” The ruling only applies explicitly to the named districts, but FFRF, along with the other organizations representing the lawsuit, has sent letters to superintendents across the state, warning them not to implement the unconstitutional law.
The Texas law mirrors a law in Louisiana, which was similarly ruled “plainly unconstitutional” in June by a panel of judges for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans. A federal judge also blocked a Ten Commandments law in Arkansas earlier this month. These unconstitutional laws are blatantly attempting to impose religious coercion in public schools across the country and directly interfere with parents’ rights to direct their children’s religious education.
Nadler, representing New York’s 12th District, took to X to react to the news, reposting a New York Times article about the ruling and adding, “The Constitution is clear: separation of church and state is essential to protecting freedom for all.” Nadler underscored, “Our public schools must remain places of learning, not government-imposed doctrine.”
Throughout his career in Congress, Nadler has long been a staunch supporter of the U.S. Constitution and state-church separation, as well as an advocate for reason and science. In April, he notably joined the Congressional Freethought Caucus, which serves to protect the secular character of the U.S. government.
FFRF Action Fund sincerely thanks Nadler for reaffirming the founding principle of state-church separation while acclaiming the halt of Texas’ unconstitutional Ten Commandments law. He is a stellar ally to have in office as threats to the wall between state and church continue nationwide.
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.