(The Center Square) — A federal judge blocked a law requiring each classroom in Louisiana to display the Ten Commandments, finding the requirement likely unconstitutional.
The state plans to appeal the decision.
U.S. District Judge John deGravelles granted a preliminary injunction to halt the implementation of Gov. Jeff Landry’s House Bill 71. The law passed this past session requires the posting of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, pending a final court decision on its constitutionality.
The former President Barack Obama appointee, presiding in the Middle District of Louisiana, noted that while proponents argued the Commandments’ historical value justified the mandate, the law’s “overtly religious” purpose makes it legally problematic.
DeGravelles stated that the law bears striking similarity to Kentucky’s Stone v. Graham, a case in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a nearly identical requirement in public schools as unconstitutional.
DeGravelles called the law “discriminatory and coercive” and “unconstitutional on its face” in his opinion.
“We strongly disagree with the court’s decision and will immediately appeal,” Attorney General Liz Murril said on X. “Schoolboards are independently elected, local political subdivisions in Louisiana.”
The appeal will be heard by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.
Arguments from the plaintiffs centered on students’ rights under the First Amendment, asserting that mandated displays could infringe on students’ freedom to make personal religious decisions.
Dr. Steven Green, a Willamette University professor commissioned by the plaintiffs, provided expert testimony countering the state’s historical claims.
A report from Green commissioned by the plaintiffs concluded that the Ten Commandments did not influence the U.S. Constitution or other founding documents, challenging the notion that the Commandments reflect an inherent American legal tradition.
Attorneys representing the state argued the lawsuit was premature, contending that schools had yet to display the Commandments and could present them in a constitutionally appropriate way.
They argued that the displays could avoid violating First Amendment protections and serve only as historical context.
The preliminary injunction means the law cannot be enforced until the court reaches a definitive conclusion on its constitutional standing.
In her statement on X, Murrill said that schools are required to display the Ten Commandments by January 1st, 2025, leaving less than two months for classrooms to be in compliance.
