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BATON ROUGE, LA. — A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction against a new Louisiana law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public classrooms by January 1, labeling the statute as “unconstitutional on its face.”
U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles, located in Baton Rouge, determined that the law clearly serves a religious intent, dismissing arguments from state officials who contended that the commandments warrant display due to their historical relevance to American law. His ruling emphasized that there is no requirement for the posting of other significant documents, like the Constitution or the Bill of Rights.
In the preliminary injunction, Judge deGravelles indicated that plaintiffs opposing the legislation stand a strong chance of succeeding in their lawsuit. This legal challenge asserts that the law contravenes the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from establishing a religion or infringing upon the free exercise of religion. Critics further argued that showcasing the Ten Commandments could alienate students of differing beliefs, particularly non-Christians.
According to deGravelles, the law constitutes an unconstitutional coercive influence on students regarding religion: “As Plaintiffs highlight, by law, parents must send their minor children to school and ensure attendance during regular school hours at least 177 days per year.”
Supporters of the law argue its importance extends beyond the religious realm, asserting its historical significance in relation to the underpinnings of U.S. law.
The lawsuit was initiated by a coalition of parents whose children attend public schools in Louisiana. This legislation emerged from a GOP-dominated Legislature in a state characterized by its Republican affiliations and its position within the Bible Belt, having been passed earlier in the year. The Associated Press reached out for comments from Governor Jeff Landry and Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill, both Republicans and backers of the law, on Tuesday morning.
This statute is part of a larger trend among conservative lawmakers aimed at integrating religious principles into educational settings. Recent initiatives in various states highlight similar efforts, such as a Florida law allowing volunteer chaplains to provide counseling in schools, and directives in Oklahoma encouraging biblical teachings in public school curricula.
In recent years, multiple states, including Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah, have also considered or proposed similar legislation regarding the Ten Commandments in classrooms. However, prospective legal challenges concerning the constitutional validity of these measures have led to none being implemented thus far.
Historically, the U.S. Supreme Court addressed a comparable situation in 1980, ruling that a Kentucky law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments was unconstitutional, thereby reinforcing the First Amendment’s establishment clause. The Court concluded that the law lacked any secular justification and instead served a clearly religious function.
The Louisiana law purportedly applies to all public K-12 institutions and state-funded higher education classrooms, requiring posters or framed documents featuring the Ten Commandments with specific dimensions—at least 11 by 14 inches—and printed in a prominent font. Each such display must be accompanied by a context statement that explains the historical presence of the Ten Commandments in American public education over the past three centuries.
To comply with this new requirement, schools may need to obtain tens of thousands of these posters. Proponents of the law assert that public funds are not obligatory for purchasing the posters; instead, they could be acquired through private contributions or donations from various organizations.
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