A three-judge panel from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday struck down Louisiana’s requirement for displaying the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.
Newsweek reached out to the office of Governor Jeff Landry via email on Saturday for comment.
Why It Matters
The ruling represents a decisive legal victory for advocacy groups challenging the state mandate on constitutional grounds.
This constitutional challenge reflects broader national tensions over religious expression in public education, with the mandate previously receiving support from President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers.
The ruling’s implications extend beyond Louisiana, as Texas advances comparable legislation that affects nearly 6 million students in the nation’s second-largest school system, while Arkansas faces parallel legal challenges as well.
What To Know
Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry enacted the classroom display requirement in June 2024, mandating poster-sized presentations of the Ten Commandments across all public-school facilities.
The law was quickly challenged by parents of Louisiana school children from various religious backgrounds, who filed a lawsuit arguing it violates First Amendment language that guarantees religious liberty and forbidding government establishment of religion.
The ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals marked a major win for civil liberties groups who said the mandate violates the separation of church and state. The decision upholds an order issued last November by U.S. District Judge John deGravelles who declared the mandate unconstitutional and ordered state education officials not to enforce it.
In a court with more than twice as many Republican-appointed judges, two of the three judges involved in Friday’s ruling were appointed by Democratic presidents.
Historical precedent shows the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that a Kentucky law requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, finding it had no secular purpose but served a plainly religious purpose.
In 2005, the Court held that displays in Kentucky courthouses violated the Constitution, while simultaneously upholding a Ten Commandments marker on the grounds of the Texas state Capitol in Austin.
What People Are Saying
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) senior staff attorney Heather L. Weaver told the Associated Press: “This is a resounding victory for the separation of church and state and public education. 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.”
Americans United for Separation of Church and State spokesperson Liz Hayes told the AP: “All school districts in the state are bound to comply with the U.S. Constitution. Thus, all school districts must abide by this decision and should not post the Ten Commandments in their classrooms.”
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry wrote in a statement on Friday: “The Ten Commandments are the foundation of our laws—serving both an educational and historical purpose in our classrooms.”
What Happens Next?
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she would appeal the ruling, including taking it to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. Landry stated Friday that he supports the attorney general’s plans to appeal.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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