As the Kern County Board of Education considers a resolution to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, local educators, parents, and legal experts met Wednesday to discuss what the move could mean for public schools.
A free webinar titled “Church, State & Our Public Schools,” was held Nov. 5 to address the social, educational, and legal concerns surrounding the proposal. It was hosted by Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
The event invited community members to share their views and learn about potential constitutional issues and costs to school districts.
Organizers said the goal was to “protect the boundary of personal faith and public education” and “keep schools out of costly legal battles.”
Speakers included legal experts, educators, and parents, who discussed how faith and education intersect in a diverse public school system.
“We’re here because this resolution affects all of us families, teachers, and especially students,” said Vanessa Orozco Romero, who helped moderate the event. “Faith is personal, but public education is for everyone. Our goal is to keep those two things in their right places.”
Peter Eliasberg, chief counsel for the ACLU of Southern California, said displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms could violate the U.S. Constitution’s Establishment Clause, which separates church and state.
“The Supreme Court has been clear when government bodies put religious texts on display, that’s a constitutional violation,” Eliasberg said. “Every time a district does this, they end up in court, and they end up losing. That means taxpayers end up paying for it.”
Eliasberg said such lawsuits could cost districts thousands of dollars that could otherwise go to teachers and students.
“These cases are not theoretical,” he added. “They’ve happened before, and they will happen again if this goes forward.”
Educators at the webinar said the proposal would put teachers in a difficult position.
Greg Ardoin of the California Teachers Association said classroom instruction should remain neutral on matters of religion.
“When religion is inserted into public schools, teachers are the ones caught in the middle,” Ardoin said. “We have students from different faiths or no faith at all. We should be teaching respect and inclusion, not promoting one belief system over another.”
Ardoin added that teachers already face challenges in meeting academic standards and supporting students’ diverse needs.
“We don’t need another divisive issue that distracts from learning,” they said.
Lindsay Parker, a local parent, said she worries about how the resolution would affect children from families with different religious beliefs.
“I teach my kids values like honesty, empathy, and respect but I don’t need the government to tell them which religion those values come from,” Parker said. “Public schools should be a place where all families feel welcome.”
Parker also said she fears the proposal could lead to community division. “It’s hard enough to get parents to come together on issues like safety and curriculum,” she said. “Something like this could tear people apart.”
Community member Jesse Aguilar said this debate isn’t new for Kern County.
“About 15 years ago, the board tried to do something similar,” Aguilar said during the webinar. “It didn’t go anywhere because people stood up and said no. The courts have been clear religion doesn’t belong in public classrooms.”
Aguilar said he hopes the community will once again speak out. “We should be focused on fixing the real problems our schools face not bringing up old battles that divide us,” he said.
Organizers encouraged residents to stay informed and attend upcoming board meetings. They said that the discussion isn’t about faith itself but about ensuring public education remains inclusive and constitutionally sound.
“Everyone is entitled to their beliefs,” Orozco Romero said. “But the moment those beliefs become government policy, we have a problem. That’s why your voice matters.”
The Board is expected to vote the resolution on the Kern County Board of Education’s next meeting on Nov. 13.
