(ZENIT News / Louisiana, 11.13.2024).- A federal judge has ruled against a Louisiana law that would require public schools to display the Ten Commandments, declaring it unconstitutional in a decision released on November 12. The ruling marks a setback for proponents of the law, who anticipated legal challenges, as critics vowed to take action. The U.S. Supreme Court previously ruled against a similar law in Kentucky in 1980, citing it as a violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.
U.S. District Judge John deGravelles argued that the Louisiana law imposes religious doctrine on students in a way that is “coercive and unavoidable” within the school environment. According to his ruling, students “cannot reasonably avoid” the display of the Ten Commandments, which would be present in classrooms daily, throughout their schooling. DeGravelles emphasized that there was insufficient historical precedent from America’s founding period to justify this mandate, remarking that less intrusive methods could fulfill the state’s interest in religious education without breaching First Amendment protections.
The measure, signed into law by Republican Governor Jeff Landry in June as part of his “Dream Big” education plan, included numerous other reforms. Among these were scholarship accounts, the removal of COVID-19 vaccination requirements for schools, policies on parental consent for preferred pronouns, teacher compensation adjustments, and limits on discussions of gender and sexuality in primary and secondary education. The law specifically mandated the display of “the Ten Commandments and other historically significant documents” in various public spaces, including schools.
Following the court’s ruling, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced plans to appeal, which could bring the case to the conservative-leaning Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Murrill expressed hope that the appeal would emphasize the state’s educational interests.
The Louisiana law has also received attention on the national stage, with President-elect Donald Trump endorsing it in June. In a post on Truth Social, Trump described it as “a crucial step toward a much-needed revival of religion in our country,” expressing optimism about the law’s potential impact on America’s cultural landscape.
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