Ten Commandments displays prompt scholarship cancellations, teach-in at University of Arkansas – Arkansas Advocate
A Ten Commandments display hangs inside a bus depot on the University of Arkansas campus on Oct. 17, 2025. The donated posters are being hung around the Fayetteville campus in compliance with a new state law. (Photo by Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate)
The installation of Ten Commandments posters on the University of Arkansas’ Fayetteville campus has led to the revocation of scholarships and discussions about the constitutionality of the displays.
Earlier this month, university officials announced they would hang 500 Ten Commandments posters donated by Christian organization Counteract USA to comply with a new state law that requires “a historical representation” of the tenets be “prominently” displayed in public school classrooms and libraries, public institutions of higher education, and public buildings and facilities maintained by taxpayer funds.
According to Act 573 of 2025, posters must be donated or purchased with funds through voluntary contributions. Posters that don’t meet specifications required by the law may be replaced with public funds or private donations.
As a “very strong believer of separation of church and state,” UA alum Andy Kinslow said he was angry to learn about the posters. Kinslow, who grew up in Arkansas but now calls Oklahoma home, said he was already contemplating ending his financial support of the university after being told one of his scholarships that referenced diversity needed to be modified to comply with state and federal law.
Learning about the Ten Commandments posters “was the tipping point” that made him decide to pull both of his scholarships from the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design and remove the department from his will.
“Why would I give money to an institution that is not fighting this law when there are lots of other places that the money could go that would be appreciated,” Kinslow said.
A federal judge blocked implementation of Act 573 at a handful of Arkansas public school districts in a lawsuit focused on K-12 schools, but a suit challenging implementation of the statute at the higher ed level has not been filed.
Kinslow said the law, which feels like “someone trying to impose their belief system on everyone else,” represents “religious overstep into public institutions that should be there to serve everyone and not just their interests.”
“I’m very proud to have gone to the University of Arkansas, but I’m really saddened that this is happening,” he said.
Hear a University of Arkansas alum and student explain, in their own words, why they’re opposed to Ten Commandments displays being hung on the university’s Fayetteville campus.
University officials began hanging up the posters the week of Oct. 13, according to UA spokesperson John Thomas. Several dozen have been hung in multiple buildings, and installation is expected to continue throughout the fall semester, Thomas said. Campus leaders, building executives and the university’s primary communications directors have been briefed and notified about the installations.
“The posters are considered state property, therefore any tampering or removal will be investigated,” he said. “Responsible parties could face criminal charges, employment-related discipline, and/or other charges under the Code of Student Life.”
While there have been no formal speaking events expressing opposition, Thomas said he understands the posters have generated conversation.
“Certainly, we are aware and respect the fact that some students and employees disagree with the required postings…While we understand that there are different opinions about Act 573, the university’s practice is to comply with the law.”
Supporters of Act 573 have argued the Ten Commandments are a historical document because they influenced the nation’s founders and their creation of the country’s legal system. Opponents, like UA junior Nathan Gray, argue the posters are unconstitutional.
After the Ten Commandments began appearing at the university this month, Gray hung his own flyers around campus that drew attention to Stone v. Graham, a court case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Kentucky law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment (which forbids the government from “establishing” a religion) because it lacked a nonreligious, legislative purpose.
Proponents of Act 573 have pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton that instructed the Establishment Clause to be interpreted by “reference to historical practices and understandings.”
Gray disagreed that the tenets have historical precedence.
“It’s purely religious, and I think that if they really felt that it was a historical document then we would have something like the Bill of Rights placed up or even the Constitution,” Gray said. “… their argument is that this is a document that’s influenced the documents like the Bill of Rights, so I think we could just skip right to our rights and how about we place those up in every classroom?”
Gray thought it was “a joke” when he first saw a local news report about the donated posters and was “really shocked” they were installed so quickly. After hearing concerns from other campus community members, Gray said he realized no one was taking action and decided to organize himself.
The Fayetteville native hung posters gauging interest in a teach-in, an informal lecture to discuss all sides of the issue. Over the last week, he’s received feedback from more than two dozen graduate and undergraduate students, including a few who are willing to speak. Gray hopes to include faculty members in the lecture, which he intends to host before Thanksgiving break.
In-person discussions can be fruitful for developing solutions to issues, according to Gray, who noted it’s easy for his peers to focus on virtual actions like signing an online petition.
“Those are really important, but I think getting together in person is a really powerful way of sending a message that we can organize together, and the power really is with the students here and the people,” he said. “And that’s our main way of being able to show it, is just organizing together in a big room.”
While some classmates may assume the debate over the posters is a religious issue that doesn’t affect them, Gray said it’s bigger than that. It’s a question of constitutional rights.
“I think they’re testing the waters and seeing what’s the easiest part of the First Amendment to start to chip away at,” he said. “This unfortunately is it and it has to do with religion, so I think that’s where we are at.”
Gray said Act 573 proponents are taking advantage of a “really chaotic moment” in the country with the government shutdown and a busy news cycle that forces students to move on to the next issue instead of continuing to focus on one thing. Immediate action against the Ten Commandments posters will likely require judicial intervention, Gray said, but in the long term, he hopes creating dialogue around this issue will encourage voters to consider their options for the 2026 election.
“To make sure that we’re all voting for people who really want to prioritize our constitutional values, and I think that right now people just aren’t aware of a lot of this stuff, especially students,” he said.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
by Antoinette Grajeda, Arkansas Advocate
October 27, 2025
by Antoinette Grajeda, Arkansas Advocate
October 27, 2025
The installation of Ten Commandments posters on the University of Arkansas’ Fayetteville campus has led to the revocation of scholarships and discussions about the constitutionality of the displays.
Earlier this month, university officials announced they would hang 500 Ten Commandments posters donated by Christian organization Counteract USA to comply with a new state law that requires “a historical representation” of the tenets be “prominently” displayed in public school classrooms and libraries, public institutions of higher education, and public buildings and facilities maintained by taxpayer funds.
According to Act 573 of 2025, posters must be donated or purchased with funds through voluntary contributions. Posters that don’t meet specifications required by the law may be replaced with public funds or private donations.
As a “very strong believer of separation of church and state,” UA alum Andy Kinslow said he was angry to learn about the posters. Kinslow, who grew up in Arkansas but now calls Oklahoma home, said he was already contemplating ending his financial support of the university after being told one of his scholarships that referenced diversity needed to be modified to comply with state and federal law.
Learning about the Ten Commandments posters “was the tipping point” that made him decide to pull both of his scholarships from the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design and remove the department from his will.
“Why would I give money to an institution that is not fighting this law when there are lots of other places that the money could go that would be appreciated,” Kinslow said.
A federal judge blocked implementation of Act 573 at a handful of Arkansas public school districts in a lawsuit focused on K-12 schools, but a suit challenging implementation of the statute at the higher ed level has not been filed.
Kinslow said the law, which feels like “someone trying to impose their belief system on everyone else,” represents “religious overstep into public institutions that should be there to serve everyone and not just their interests.”
“I’m very proud to have gone to the University of Arkansas, but I’m really saddened that this is happening,” he said.
Hear a University of Arkansas alum and student explain, in their own words, why they’re opposed to Ten Commandments displays being hung on the university’s Fayetteville campus.
University officials began hanging up the posters the week of Oct. 13, according to UA spokesperson John Thomas. Several dozen have been hung in multiple buildings, and installation is expected to continue throughout the fall semester, Thomas said. Campus leaders, building executives and the university’s primary communications directors have been briefed and notified about the installations.
“The posters are considered state property, therefore any tampering or removal will be investigated,” he said. “Responsible parties could face criminal charges, employment-related discipline, and/or other charges under the Code of Student Life.”
While there have been no formal speaking events expressing opposition, Thomas said he understands the posters have generated conversation.
“Certainly, we are aware and respect the fact that some students and employees disagree with the required postings…While we understand that there are different opinions about Act 573, the university’s practice is to comply with the law.”
Supporters of Act 573 have argued the Ten Commandments are a historical document because they influenced the nation’s founders and their creation of the country’s legal system. Opponents, like UA junior Nathan Gray, argue the posters are unconstitutional.
After the Ten Commandments began appearing at the university this month, Gray hung his own flyers around campus that drew attention to Stone v. Graham, a court case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Kentucky law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment (which forbids the government from “establishing” a religion) because it lacked a nonreligious, legislative purpose.
Proponents of Act 573 have pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton that instructed the Establishment Clause to be interpreted by “reference to historical practices and understandings.”
Gray disagreed that the tenets have historical precedence.
“It’s purely religious, and I think that if they really felt that it was a historical document then we would have something like the Bill of Rights placed up or even the Constitution,” Gray said. “… their argument is that this is a document that’s influenced the documents like the Bill of Rights, so I think we could just skip right to our rights and how about we place those up in every classroom?”
Gray thought it was “a joke” when he first saw a local news report about the donated posters and was “really shocked” they were installed so quickly. After hearing concerns from other campus community members, Gray said he realized no one was taking action and decided to organize himself.
The Fayetteville native hung posters gauging interest in a teach-in, an informal lecture to discuss all sides of the issue. Over the last week, he’s received feedback from more than two dozen graduate and undergraduate students, including a few who are willing to speak. Gray hopes to include faculty members in the lecture, which he intends to host before Thanksgiving break.
In-person discussions can be fruitful for developing solutions to issues, according to Gray, who noted it’s easy for his peers to focus on virtual actions like signing an online petition.
“Those are really important, but I think getting together in person is a really powerful way of sending a message that we can organize together, and the power really is with the students here and the people,” he said. “And that’s our main way of being able to show it, is just organizing together in a big room.”
While some classmates may assume the debate over the posters is a religious issue that doesn’t affect them, Gray said it’s bigger than that. It’s a question of constitutional rights.
“I think they’re testing the waters and seeing what’s the easiest part of the First Amendment to start to chip away at,” he said. “This unfortunately is it and it has to do with religion, so I think that’s where we are at.”
Gray said Act 573 proponents are taking advantage of a “really chaotic moment” in the country with the government shutdown and a busy news cycle that forces students to move on to the next issue instead of continuing to focus on one thing. Immediate action against the Ten Commandments posters will likely require judicial intervention, Gray said, but in the long term, he hopes creating dialogue around this issue will encourage voters to consider their options for the 2026 election.
“To make sure that we’re all voting for people who really want to prioritize our constitutional values, and I think that right now people just aren’t aware of a lot of this stuff, especially students,” he said.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.
Antoinette Grajeda is a multimedia journalist who has reported since 2007 on a wide range of topics, including politics, health, education, immigration and the arts for NPR affiliates, print publications and digital platforms. A University of Arkansas alumna, she earned a bachelor’s degree in print journalism and a master’s degree in documentary film.
Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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The Arkansas Advocate is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to tough, fair daily reporting and investigative journalism that holds public officials accountable and focuses on the relationship between the lives of Arkansans and public policy. This service is free to readers and other news outlets.
We’re part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. (See full republishing guidelines.)
© Arkansas Advocate, 2025
