Federal Judge Blocks Louisiana’s Mandate for Ten Commandments in Public School Classrooms

A federal judge has blocked a Louisiana law that would have required public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms state-wide by January 1. U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles ruled that the law violates the First Amendment’s protections for the free exercise of religion and the prohibition on government establishment of religion.

In a detailed ruling on Tuesday, Judge deGravelles described the law as “unconstitutional on its face and in every application.” The ruling prohibits Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and other state officials from enforcing the law and directs them to notify public schools that they are not required to comply.

Judge deGravelles, a former President Barack Obama appointee, also called the law “discriminatory and coercive.”

The ruling is a setback for conservative advocates pushing for more visible expressions of faith in public life. Religious expression in public schools has been a contentious issue in the United States, where religious freedom often conflicts with efforts to prevent government favouritism toward any single faith tradition.

Judge blocks Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms – M10news

President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican, has expressed his support for reintroducing prayer in schools, adding national attention to the ongoing debate over religion in public education.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican, announced that the state plans to appeal the decision to the conservative-leaning 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. “We strongly disagree with the court’s decision and will immediately appeal,” Murrill stated.

In a 177-page opinion, Judge deGravelles cited a 1980 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a similar law in Kentucky. He argued that Louisiana’s legislation conflicts with the earlier ruling, potentially infringing on the religious rights of students and families who oppose the displays. Judge deGravelles warned that the law could coerce children in public schools to adopt “Louisiana’s preferred religious teachings” during their daily attendance.

Judge deGravelles added that the law would effectively turn students into a “captive audience,” as most public school students attend classes approximately 177 days per year. “The issue is whether, as a matter of law, there is any constitutional way to display the Ten Commandments by [Louisiana’s law],” he wrote. “In short, the court finds that there is not.”

House Bill 71 was signed into law by Republican Governor Jeff Landry on June 19, making Louisiana the only state to require Ten Commandments displays in all public classrooms. The law mandated that classrooms display 11×14-inch posters or framed versions of the Commandments in a prominent, easy-to-read font.

Federal judge blocks Louisiana law requiring public schools to post Ten Commandments | National Catholic Reporter

The mandate prompted immediate legal action. A group of nine families with children in Louisiana public schools, representing a range of religious and nonreligious affiliations—including Unitarian Universalist, Jewish, Presbyterian, atheist, and nonreligious—filed a lawsuit in Baton Rouge, seeking an injunction.

Among the plaintiffs, Unitarian Universalist minister Darcy Roake and her husband, Adrian Van Young, who is Jewish, argued that the law infringes upon their religious freedom. “As an interfaith family, we expect our children to receive their secular education in public school and their religious education at home and within our faith communities, not from government officials,” Roake said.

Supporters of the law hope that the Supreme Court, which currently holds a 6-3 conservative majority, will ultimately side with them if the case reaches its docket. In recent years, the Supreme Court has favoured some religious rights cases, such as its 2022 decision allowing a Washington State high school football coach to pray with players after games.

However, Judge deGravelles argued that Louisiana’s law does not align with a “broader tradition” of using the Ten Commandments in public education and remains inconsistent with existing legal precedent.

The case, titled *Roake et al. v Brumley et al.*, will await further proceedings in the U.S. Court of Appeals.