Appeals court rules Louisiana law requiring Ten Commandments in schools is unconstitutional
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Federal appeals court rules Louisiana Ten Commandments school law is unconstitutional
A federal appeals court on Friday ruled that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public-school classrooms and state-funded universities in the state is unconstitutional. A group of parents sued the state over concerns the law that went into effect in January violates the separation of church and state. The law was passed by Louisiana’s Republican-controlled legislature last year and says the text of the Ten commandments must be written in “large, easily readable font” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement on Friday that she and her office “strongly disagree” with the ruling.Arkansas has a similar law and other Republican states are on the verge of similar laws.
A federal appeals court on Friday ruled that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public-school classrooms and state-funded universities in the state is unconstitutional.
Three federal appellate judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana said they affirmed a lower district court’s ruling that the statute was “facially unconstitutional.”
Last June, a group of parents sued the state over concerns the law that went into effect in January violates the separation of church and state.
The district court issued a preliminary injunction on the law last November in the five school districts that involve plaintiffs.
ARKANSAS FAMILIES SUE TO KEEP 10 COMMANDMENTS OUT OF CLASSROOM BEFORE NEW LAW TAKES EFFECT
“H.B. 71 is plainly unconstitutional. The district court did not err,” the appeals court said on Friday, referring to the statute. “H.B. 71’s minimum requirements provide sufficient details about how the Ten Commandments must be displayed. Plaintiffs have shown that those displays will cause an “irreparable” deprivation of their First Amendment rights.”
The law was passed by Louisiana’s Republican-controlled legislature last year and says the text of the Ten Commandments must be written in “large, easily readable font.”
SUPREME COURT WEIGHS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY DISPUTE OVER PUBLIC FUNDING FOR CATHOLIC CHARTER SCHOOL
“The Ten Commandments must be displayed with a ‘context statement’ about the ‘History of the Ten Commandments in American Public Education,’ and ‘may’ be displayed with ‘the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the Northwest Ordinance,'” the statute says.
“We are grateful for this decision, which honors the religious diversity and religious-freedom rights of public school families across Louisiana,” Rev. Darcy Roake, a plaintiff in the case represented by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said. “As an interfaith family, we believe that our children should receive their religious education at home and within our faith communities, not from government officials.”
Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said in a statement: “This ruling will ensure that Louisiana families – not politicians or public-school officials – get to decide if, when and how their children engage with religion. It should send a strong message to Christian Nationalists across the country that they cannot impose their beliefs on our nation’s public-school children. Not on our watch.”
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement on Friday that she and her office “strongly disagree” with the ruling, according to NOLA.com.
“We will immediately seek relief from the full Fifth Circuit and, if necessary, the U.S. Supreme Court,” she added.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Murrill for comment.
Arkansas has a similar law and other Republican states are on the verge of similar laws.
Court blocks Louisiana law requiring schools to post Ten Commandments in classrooms
A panel of three federal appellate judges has ruled that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in each of the state’s public school classrooms is unconstitutional. The ruling Friday marked a major win for civil liberties groups who say the mandate violates the separation of church and state. The mandate has been touted by Republicans, including President Donald Trump, and marks one of the latest pushes by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ order stems from a lawsuit filed last year by parents of Louisiana school children from various religious backgrounds, who said the law violates First Amendment language guaranteeing religious liberty and forbidding government establishment of religion. The plaintiffs’ attorneys and Louisiana disagreed on whether the appeals court’s decision applied to every public school district in the state or only the districts party to the lawsuit.
FILE – A copy of the Ten Commandments is posted along with other historical documents in a hallway at the Georgia Capitol on June 20, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
FILE – A copy of the Ten Commandments is posted along with other historical documents in a hallway at the Georgia Capitol on June 20, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
FILE – A copy of the Ten Commandments is posted along with other historical documents in a hallway at the Georgia Capitol on June 20, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
FILE – A copy of the Ten Commandments is posted along with other historical documents in a hallway at the Georgia Capitol on June 20, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
NEW ORLEANS — A panel of three federal appellate judges has ruled that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in each of the state’s public school classrooms is unconstitutional.
The ruling Friday marked a major win for civil liberties groups who say the mandate violates the separation of church and state, and that the poster-sized displays would isolate students — especially those who are not Christian.
The mandate has been touted by Republicans, including President Donald Trump, and marks one of the latest pushes by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms. Backers of the law argue the Ten Commandments belong in classrooms because they are historical and part of the foundation of U.S. law.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys and Louisiana disagreed on whether the appeals court’s decision applied to every public school district in the state or only the districts party to the lawsuit.
“All school districts in the state are bound to comply with the U.S. Constitution,” said Liz Hayes, a spokesperson for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which served as co-counsel for the plaintiffs.
The appeals court’s rulings “interpret the law for all of Louisiana,” Hayes added. “Thus, all school districts must abide by this decision and should not post the Ten Commandments in their classrooms.”
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she disagreed and believed the ruling only applied to school districts in the five parishes that were party to the lawsuit and that she would seek to appeal the ruling.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ order stems from a lawsuit filed last year by parents of Louisiana school children from various religious backgrounds, who said the law violates First Amendment language guaranteeing religious liberty and forbidding government establishment of religion.
The mandate was signed into law last June by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry.
The court’s ruling backs an order issued last fall by U.S. District Judge John deGravelles, who declared the mandate unconstitutional and ordered state education officials not to take steps to enforce it and to notify all local school boards in the state of his decision.
Law experts have long said they expect the Louisiana case to make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, testing the conservative court on the issue of religion and government.
In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a similar Kentucky law violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says Congress can “make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” The high court found that the law had no secular purpose but served a plainly religious purpose.
In 2005, the Supreme Court held that such displays in a pair of Kentucky courthouses violated the Constitution. At the same time, the court upheld a Ten Commandments marker on the grounds of the Texas state Capitol in Austin.
US court blocks Louisiana law requiring schools to post Ten Commandments in classrooms
A panel of three federal appellate judges has ruled that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in each of the state’s public school classrooms is unconstitutional. The ruling Friday marked a major win for civil liberties groups who say the mandate violates the separation of church and state. The mandate has been touted by Republicans, including President Donald Trump, and marks one of the latest pushes by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms. Backers of the law argue the Ten commandments belong in classrooms because they are historical and part of the foundation of US law. The panel of judges reviewing the case was unusually liberal for the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals. Two of the three judges involved in the ruling were appointed by Democratic presidents, while the third was appointed by a Republican president. The Louisiana attorney general said she would appeal the ruling, including taking it to the US Supreme Court if necessary.
The ruling Friday marked a major win for civil liberties groups who say the mandate violates the separation of church and state, and that the poster-sized displays would isolate students — especially those who are not Christian.
The mandate has been touted by Republicans, including President Donald Trump, and marks one of the latest pushes by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms. Backers of the law argue the Ten Commandments belong in classrooms because they are historical and part of the foundation of US law.
“This is a resounding victory for the separation of church and state and public education,” said Heather L Weaver, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. “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.”
The plaintiffs’ attorneys and Louisiana disagreed on whether the appeals court’s decision applied to every public school district in the state or only the districts party to the lawsuit.
“All school districts in the state are bound to comply with the US Constitution,” said Liz Hayes, a spokesperson for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which served as co-counsel for the plaintiffs.
The appeals court’s rulings “interpret the law for all of Louisiana,” Hayes added. “Thus, all school districts must abide by this decision and should not post the Ten Commandments in their classrooms.”
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she disagreed and believed the ruling only applied to school districts in the five parishes that were party to the lawsuit. Murrill added that she would appeal the ruling, including taking it to the US Supreme Court if necessary.
The panel of judges reviewing the case was unusually liberal for the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals. In a court with more than twice as many Republican-appointed judges, two of the three judges involved in the ruling were appointed by Democratic presidents.
The court’s ruling stems from a lawsuit filed last year by parents of Louisiana school children from various religious backgrounds, who said the law violates First Amendment language guaranteeing religious liberty and forbidding government establishment of religion.
The ruling also backs an order issued last fall by US District Judge John deGravelles, who declared the mandate unconstitutional and ordered state education officials not to enforce it and to notify all local school boards in the state of his decision.
Republican Gov Jeff Landry signed the mandate into law last June.
Landry said in a statement Friday that he supports the attorney general’s plans to appeal.
“The Ten Commandments are the foundation of our laws — serving both an educational and historical purpose in our classrooms,” Landry said.
Law experts have long said they expect the Louisiana case to make its way to the US Supreme Court, testing the court on the issue of religion and government.
Similar laws have been challenged in court.
A group of Arkansas families filed a federal lawsuit earlier this month challenging a near-identical law passed in their state. And comparable legislation in Texas currently awaits Gov Greg Abbott’s signature.
In 1980, the US Supreme Court ruled that a Kentucky law violated the Establishment Clause of the US Constitution, which says Congress can “make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” The court found that the law had no secular purpose but served a plainly religious purpose.
And in 2005, the Supreme Court held that such displays in a pair of Kentucky courthouses violated the Constitution. At the same time, the court upheld a Ten Commandments marker on the grounds of the Texas state Capitol in Austin. (AP) SCY
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Appeals court blocks Louisiana law requiring public schools to display Ten Commandments
The ruling is a major win for civil liberties groups who say the mandate violates the separation of church and state. The mandate, which took effect Jan. 1, has been touted by Republicans, including President Trump. Backers of the law argue the Ten Commandments belong in classrooms because they are historical and part of the foundation of U.S. law. The law required a poster-sized display of the Ten commandments in “large, easily readable font” in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities. In 2005, the Supreme Court held that such displays in a pair of Kentucky courthouses violated the Constitution.
A panel of three federal appellate judges has ruled that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in each of the state’s public school classrooms is unconstitutional.
The ruling on Friday marked a major win for civil liberties groups who say the mandate violates the separation of church and state, and that the poster-sized displays would isolate students — especially those who are not Christian.
“Parents and students challenge a statute requiring public schools to permanently display the Ten Commandments in every classroom in Louisiana,” the court said in its ruling. “The district court found the statute facially unconstitutional and preliminarily enjoined its enforcement. We AFFIRM.”
The mandate, which took effect Jan. 1, has been touted by Republicans, including President Trump, and marks one of the latest pushes by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms. Backers of the law argue the Ten Commandments belong in classrooms because they are historical and part of the foundation of U.S. law.
The ruling from the largely conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stems from a lawsuit filed last year by parents of Louisiana school children from various religious backgrounds, who said the law violates First Amendment language guaranteeing religious liberty and forbidding government establishment of religion.
“As noted, if H.B. 71 goes into effect, Students will be subjected to unwelcome displays of the Ten Commandments for the entirety of their public school education,” the judges wrote. “There is no opt-out option.”
Louisiana in June 2024 became the first state to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom when Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed the mandate into law. The law required a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in “large, easily readable font” in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities.
The court’s ruling backs an order issued last fall by U.S. District Judge John deGravelles, who declared the mandate unconstitutional and ordered state education officials not to take steps to enforce it and to notify all local school boards in the state of his decision.
Law experts have long said they expect the Louisiana case to make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, testing the conservative court on the issue of religion and government.
In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a similar Kentucky law violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says Congress can “make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” The high court found that the law had no secular purpose but served a plainly religious purpose.
In 2005, the Supreme Court held that such displays in a pair of Kentucky courthouses violated the Constitution. At the same time, the court upheld a Ten Commandments marker on the grounds of the Texas state Capitol in Austin.
Louisiana law requiring Ten Commandments in schools is unconstitutional, court rules
A federal appeals court ruled against a Louisiana law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals called the law “plainly unconstitutional” in the ruling. This decision, which cites a 1980 Supreme Court ruling, sets a precedent as Texas’s similar Senate Bill 10 awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature. Civil liberties groups have already vowed to sue Texas if Abbott signs the bill into law. The ruling is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Brief A federal appeals court ruled against a Louisiana law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments, deeming it “plainly unconstitutional.” This decision, which cites a 1980 Supreme Court ruling, sets a precedent as Texas’s similar Senate Bill 10 awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature. Civil liberties groups have already vowed to sue Texas if Abbott signs the bill into law.
A federal court ruled against a Louisiana law requiring public schools and colleges in the state to display the Ten Commandments.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals called the law “plainly unconstitutional” in the ruling.
Louisiana Ten Commandments law
Dig deeper:
The law, passed by the Louisiana legislature in 2024, requires a poster or framed document with the Ten Commandments to be posted in public schools.
The law also details that the poster must be at least 11 inches by 14 inches, that text of the Ten Commandments should be the central focus of the poster and that it must be printed in a large, easily readable font.
A “context statement” about the history of the Ten Commandments and its role in American public education is also required.
Schools also must accept donated posters or use donated money to pay for them.
Law challenged in court
The law was scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2025, but a group of public school parents sued, saying the law violated the First Amendment.
In November, a U.S. District Court called the law unconstitutional and barred the state from enforcing the law.
On Friday, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling.
The ruling from the three-judge panel focused much of its argument on a past Supreme Court decision.
In 1980, the Supreme Court struck down a Kentucky statute requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in schools.
What’s next:
The ruling is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Ruling’s impact on Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott
Local perspective:
Texas passed Senate Bill 10 this legislative session. The bill would set up a law that is very similar to Louisiana’s.
Gov. Greg Abbott has said he plans to sign the bill into law.
Several civil liberties groups, including the ACLU of Texas, released a statement saying they plan to sue the state over Senate Bill 10 if the governor signs it into law.