Louisiana has mandated that all public school classrooms display a poster of the Ten Commandments, a decision that civil liberties groups are preparing to contest. This Republican-supported initiative, recently signed by Governor Jeff Landry, is unprecedented in the United States and extends to classrooms up to the university level.
Christians regard the Ten Commandments as divine guidelines for living, and the new law portrays them as foundational to state and national governance. However, critics argue that this measure violates the constitutional separation of church and state.
The law specifies that the posters must feature the Ten Commandments in a prominent, large, and readable font on posters sized 11 inches by 14 inches. Additionally, each poster must include a four-paragraph context statement explaining the historical significance of the Ten Commandments in American public education.
The deadline for classrooms to display these posters is 2025, though the state will not provide funding for their production and distribution.
Louisiana Mandates Ten Commandments Posters in Public Schools, Igniting Legal Controversy
This law mirrors similar proposals in other Republican-led states such as Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah. Civil liberties organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, plan to challenge the law, emphasizing the religious diversity within Louisiana’s schools.
They argue that the law is unconstitutional, breaching the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits government endorsement of religion.
Proponents of the law, like its author Republican state lawmaker Dodie Horton, advocate for the reintroduction of a “moral code” in schools, suggesting a moral revival in educational environments. Horton has expressed optimism, saying that the bill’s approval signals widespread hope.
Nonetheless, opponents point to historical legal precedents, including a 1980 U.S. Supreme Court decision that invalidated a similar Kentucky law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in schools.
The Supreme Court ruling in the Kentucky case found that the mandate to post the Ten Commandments served no secular legislative purpose and was inherently religious, citing specific references to worshipping God. This precedent is a cornerstone of the argument by those challenging the Louisiana law, underscoring the ongoing debate over the role of religious symbols in public institutions.
