In a bold judicial move, a federal judge has halted Louisiana’s mandate requiring all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments, labeling the law as “discriminatory and coercive.” The decision by U.S. District Judge John deGravelles clashes with the recent state push led by conservative lawmakers to bring religious expression into public institutions. The ruling was quickly met with resistance from Louisiana’s attorney general, who vowed an immediate appeal.
Judge deGravelles, appointed during the Obama administration, found the law to conflict with a key 1980 Supreme Court decision against a similar mandate in Kentucky. He stated that forcing public schoolchildren to encounter the Commandments each day would effectively make them a “captive audience” to a specific religious perspective, raising serious concerns about the violation of students’ religious freedoms.
The legislation, signed by Governor Jeff Landry, mandates that classrooms display large, centrally placed Ten Commandments posters starting January 1. Following the law’s passage, a coalition of nine families, including clergy from diverse faiths and secular backgrounds, sued to prevent it from taking effect, arguing that religious teachings should be a family and community matter, not government-enforced in public education.
This case adds to the long-standing national debate over the role of religion in public schools, one that continues to fuel sharp divides. Many conservatives, encouraged by the Supreme Court’s current conservative majority, are hopeful for a more favorable outcome in higher courts. Louisiana’s attorney general is expected to bring the appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, known for its conservative leanings. The ultimate trajectory of the case could reshape the landscape of religious expression in public schools across the United States.
