Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on May 7 plans to investigate school districts across the state for compliance with legislation that embeds religion in Texas schools.
Corpus Christi is on the list of school districts Paxton is targeting with the probe, though previous Caller-Times reporting and a statement from Corpus Christi Independent School District indicates that school district has responded to the state laws.
Since September, state law has required Texas public schools to display donated copies of the Ten Commandments in classrooms. The law mandates a specific Protestant version of the religious code.
This law, Senate Bill 10, has been challenged in the courts by numerous Texas parents, including a parent in Flour Bluff Independent School District. Most recently, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in one of the cases that the law was constitutional.
Another law, Senate Bill 11, requires Texas public school boards to vote on whether or not to implement daily periods dedicated to prayer and reading religious texts. Educational leaders across the state and region described the law’s requirements for the prayer periods as logistically difficult to implement.
According to a May 7 news release, Paxton “seeks to ensure school boards have taken necessary measures regarding the implementation of prayer time in compliance with the law” and “aims to ensure that schools are displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms in compliance with Texas law.”
“Corpus Christi ISD is in compliance with SB 10 and SB 11,” according to an email statement from CCISD spokesperson Alexandria Cantu. “We respectfully decline to comment on today’s announcement.”
Prior reporting from the Caller-Times shows that the Corpus Christi ISD board of trustees addressed Senate Bill 11 this spring, voting against establishing daily prayer periods as part of a consent agenda vote on Feb. 23.
This decision was in line with similar votes made by other Coastal Bend school boards.
A May 7 news release from Paxton’s office did not explain why the attorney general’s compliance investigation includes Corpus Christi.
The probe is also targeting Alamo Heights, North East, Austin, Cypress-Fairbanks, Lackland, Lake Travis, Fort Bend, Houston, Dripping Springs, Plano, Northside, Conroe, Galveston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock, Wichita Falls, McAllen, Amarillo, El Paso, United, Texarkana, Victoria, Waco, Abilene, San Angelo, Brownsville and Beaumont school districts.
The state attorney general is demanding school districts provide proof of a board vote on Senate Bill 11, as well as documents regarding the display of the Ten Commandments.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Texas Attorney General includes Corpus Christi in school prayer probe
Reporting by Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
