Judge Blocks Louisiana Law Allowing Ten Commandments in Classrooms

On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked a state law in Louisiana that allowed public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments, calling it “unconstitutional on its face and in all applications.”

As reported by ABC News, the ruling by U.S. District Judge John deGravelles, an Obama appointee, came after the far-left American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the state over the law, HB 71. The law mandated that public schools display the text of the Ten Commandments, Biblical commands which have served as the basis for most laws in Western Civilization, in classrooms. The Commandments had to be displayed on “a poster or framed document that is at least 11 inches by 14 inches.”

Judge deGravelles declared that these displays violate the First Amendment rights of the plaintiffs, allegedly breaching the “separation of church and state” requirement. The lawsuit also pointed to a Supreme Court precedent in Stone v. Graham, a 1980 case against a similar law in Kentucky which ultimately saw the law overturned.

“The state’s main interest in passing H.B. 71 was to impose religious beliefs on public-school children, regardless of the harm to students and families,” the ACLU’s lawsuit claimed, with no evidence.

The law, signed by Governor Jeff Landry (R-La.) earlier this year, would have required all public school classrooms to have the displays set up by January 1st, 2025. Judge deGravelles’ ruling forbids Attorney General Liz Murrill (R-La.) and other state officials from enforcing the law, and orders them to inform public schools of the change in policy.

In response to the ruling, Murrill issued a statement saying that  “we strongly disagree with the court’s decision and will immediately appeal, as HB 71’s implementation deadline is approaching on January 1, 2025.”