Court strikes down law mandating Ten Commandments in public schools

A federal judge in Louisiana has suspended a contentious law that sought to mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms.

The ruling, issued by U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles, declared the law unconstitutional.

Judge deGravelles, appointed by then-President Barack Obama, stated that the law, set to go into effect on January 1, 2024, would force students to view religious texts daily without any practical way to avoid them.

In his ruling, the judge described the law as “coercive,” arguing that it imposed an undue burden on students’ rights.

He noted that while the state could explore other ways of teaching about the Ten Commandments, requiring their display in classrooms was excessive.

The law would have required every public school classroom, elementary through college, to display posters of the Ten Commandments, at least 11 by 14 inches in size, with the commandments prominently featured.

The posters would also have included a statement highlighting the historical role of the commandments in early American education.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican, responded swiftly, announcing plans to appeal the decision.

She expressed confidence that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, known for its conservative leanings, would take a different view.

Supporters of the law, largely conservative Christian groups, have framed the legislation to reaffirm the Ten Commandments’ historical importance in American culture and education.

However, opponents argue that it violates the constitutional separation of church and state.