On Monday, Louisiana faced a legal challenge against its newly enacted law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Baton Rouge, argues that this mandate infringes upon the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The plaintiffs, nine families including clergy members with children in public schools, seek an injunction to block the law.
According to the complaint, the law contradicts the fundamental principles of religious freedom that are central to the nation’s founding. Louisiana stands alone as the only U.S. state with such a requirement, a law signed by Republican Governor Jeff Landry on June 19.
This legislation is part of a broader conservative initiative aimed at increasing religious expression in public life. Proponents hope these measures, when challenged, will find favor with the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court. Notably, in 1980, the Court ruled against a similar law in Kentucky, but more recently, in 2022, it supported a high school football coach’s right to pray on the field after games.
Governor Landry’s office has yet to comment on the lawsuit. Upon signing the law, Landry stated that displaying the Ten Commandments would bolster faith within public schools, asserting, “If you want to respect the rule of law, you’ve got to start from the original law-giver, which was Moses.”
The plaintiffs argue that the law not only establishes a state-favored religion but also infringes on the free exercise clause by imposing religious views on students and their families. Darcy Roake, a Unitarian Universalist minister and one of the plaintiffs, emphasized on a call with reporters, “It is our children’s right to decide what views to accept.”
Under Louisiana’s law, every classroom from kindergarten to public colleges must display a poster-sized, easy-to-read version of the Ten Commandments. Additionally, it mandates a statement asserting that the Ten Commandments have been a significant part of American public education for nearly three centuries, suggesting both historical and religious importance.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge John deGravelles, an appointee of former President Barack Obama.
