Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the Leander and Round Rock Independent School Districts and their respective board of trustee members for not displaying donated copies of the Ten Commandments in all classrooms.
In the lawsuit that was filed Tuesday, Paxton's office said Round Rock ISD chose to "openly defy" state law after indicating it would not comply with Senate Bill 10 in a Sept. 15 email.
SB 10, the law requiring Texas public schools to display the Ten Commandments, went into effect Sept 1.
However, a federal judge blocked 11 school districts in Texas' largest metropolitan areas, including Austin, Dripping Springs and Lake Travis ISDs, from displaying the Ten Commandments in August after 16 families filed a lawsuit against those districts. Leander and Round Rock ISDs were not included in that ruling.
In his ruling, U.S. Judge Fred Biery said SB 10 "likely violates both the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment."
Paxton appealed Biery's decision. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is set to hear the state's arguments in January.
In a statement, Round Rock ISD said it has been awaiting further judicial guidance and was hoping to avoid using "scarce district resources" for litigation.
The district also said SB 10 conflicts with longstanding federal laws regarding the separation of church and state.
Leander ISD officials, however, said they have been following SB 10. In a statement, the district said Paxton did not contact Leander ISD to confirm if it was in compliance before filing the lawsuit.
"Leander ISD has accepted donated posters and has actively implemented the law in accordance with state requirements," the statement said. "At no point has Leander ISD taken action to defy or disregard the law."
Paxton said Leander and Round Rock ISD officials and board members "blatantly disregarded the will of Texas voters who expect the legal and moral heritage of our state to be displayed in accordance with the law."
"Round Rock ISD and Leander ISD chose to defy a clear statutory mandate, and this lawsuit makes clear that no district may ignore Texas law without consequence," he said.
Also on Tuesday, 14 additional school districts were barred from displaying the Ten Commandments after a federal judge ruled on a different lawsuit brought by Texas families who argue SB 10 is unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia wrote that it would be "impractical, if not impossible" to protect students from "unwelcome religious displays" without halting enforcement of the law.
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