Federal appeals court rules Louisiana Ten Commandments law unconstitutional

A recent ruling by a federal appeals court in Louisiana has declared a state law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public-school classrooms and state-funded universities as unconstitutional. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower district court’s decision that the statute, known as H.B. 71, was “facially unconstitutional.”

The controversy began last year when a group of parents raised concerns about the law, arguing that it violated the separation of church and state. In response to their lawsuit, the district court issued a preliminary injunction in November, halting the implementation of the law in five school districts involved in the case.

According to the appeals court, H.B. 71 required the text of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in a large, easily readable font, along with a “context statement” about the history of the commandments in American public education. Plaintiffs argued that such displays would infringe on their First Amendment rights.

In a statement following the ruling, Rev. Darcy Roake, a plaintiff represented by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, expressed gratitude for the decision, emphasizing the importance of religious diversity and freedom in public schools. Roake, who is part of an interfaith family, believes that religious education should be a personal matter, not dictated by government officials.

Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, hailed the court’s decision as a victory for Louisiana families, asserting that it upholds their right to decide how their children engage with religion. Laser also warned against Christian Nationalists attempting to impose their beliefs on public-school children, emphasizing the need to protect religious freedom.

However, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill expressed strong disagreement with the ruling and vowed to seek relief from the full Fifth Circuit and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court. Similar laws exist in Arkansas and are being considered in other Republican-led states.

The case underscores the ongoing debate over the intersection of religion and public education, with implications for the broader issue of church-state separation. As the legal battle continues, the fate of H.B. 71 and similar laws across the country remains uncertain.