Court strikes down state law requiring Ten Commandments in schools

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that Louisiana’s law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms is unconstitutional.

Louisiana has become the first state to require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom in June 2024 under a new law signed by Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry. A panel of three federal appellate judges ruled that a Louisiana law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms is unconstitutional, according to The Associated Press.

The decision represents a victory for civil liberties groups. They say the law violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of separation of church and state, AP reported. The law has sparked controversy, with many critics saying that posting religious texts in public schools would isolate students who do not identify as Christian.

“This is a resounding victory for the separation of church and state and public education,” said Heather L. Weaver, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, AP reported. “With today’s ruling, the Fifth Circuit has held Louisiana accountable to a core constitutional promise: Public schools are not Sunday schools, and they must welcome all students, regardless of faith.”

The legal battle began after parents of Louisiana students from various religious backgrounds filed a lawsuit. They said the mandate violated their children’s religious freedoms by forcing them to view a religious document in a public-school setting.

The ruling upholds U.S. District Judge John deGravelles’ previous decision, which declared the mandate unconstitutional and instructed state education officials to halt enforcement. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill disagreed. She said the ruling applies only to the five school districts involved in the lawsuit and announced plans to appeal.

Earlier this month, a group of Arkansas families filed a federal lawsuit against a nearly identical law passed in their state. In April, Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders approved the law, which will take effect in August and apply to all public schools, universities and taxpayer-funded buildings. Parents involved in the lawsuit say that the law forces religion on children and families.

In May, the Texas legislature also approved a Ten Commandments bill. In a previous case, an appeals court ruled that a two-and-a-half-ton Ten Commandments monument in the Alabama State Judicial Building violated the Establishment Clause by creating an “unavoidable” religious display.

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