by Mariane Angela
A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily halted a Louisiana mandate requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom by Jan. 1, deeming the law “unconstitutional on its face.”
U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles in Baton Rouge ruled that the statute had a clear religious purpose and dismissed state arguments that the commandments’ historical relevance justified their display, according to Politico. He said that no other key documents, including the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, are mandated for display in schools.
Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill (pictured above) said in a statement that she and others “strongly disagree with the court’s decision and will immediately appeal.” Murrill and Republican Gov. Jeff Landry both backed the law and said the commandments reflect the nation’s legal heritage.
In issuing a preliminary injunction, deGravelles pointed out that the plaintiffs, a group of Louisiana public school parents, are likely to succeed in their ongoing lawsuit, Politico stated. They argue that the law breaches First Amendment protections by imposing a religious display that could alienate non-Christian students.
The judge highlighted this concern and said the law coerces religious observance by mandating attendance in classrooms featuring overt religious symbols, Politico reported. Supporters contend that the measure recognizes the commandments’ historical influence, not merely a religious one.
The law, enacted by Louisiana’s Republican-led legislature, requires all public K-12 and state-funded university classrooms to display the Ten Commandments in prominent, poster-sized formats, accompanied by a contextual statement emphasizing their historic educational presence in the United States.
This legislation is among several recent moves by conservatives to integrate religion into educational settings. They include Florida’s authorization of volunteer chaplains in schools and Oklahoma’s directive to incorporate the Bible into curricula, according to Politico. Similar Ten Commandments bills have been introduced in Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah, but legal challenges have prevented them from taking effect.
– – –
Mariane Angela is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
