BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana’s attorney general has requested a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit aimed at overturning the state’s recently enacted law that mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom by January 1, 2025.
The lawsuit, initiated in June by a group of parents representing various religious backgrounds, claims the law conflicts with the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from establishing a religion and guarantees religious freedom. Supporters of the law argue that the Ten Commandments hold historical significance in the development of U.S. law and are not purely religious.
As Louisiana students prepare to return to school this month, state officials have showcased large posters of the Ten Commandments. Attorney General Liz Murrill asserts that these displays are in accordance with constitutional guidelines. She noted that no school districts have yet begun implementation, citing that the posters are still in production.
In the court brief, Murrill contends that the lawsuit is premature, stating that the plaintiffs cannot demonstrate any actual harm since they have not seen the displays that they claim infringe upon their rights. “They don’t allege to have seen any displays yet, and they definitely can’t claim to have encountered any display of the Ten Commandments that violates their constitutional rights,” Murrill emphasized.
During a recent press conference, Murrill presented over a dozen poster examples to reinforce her position that these displays can be constitutionally valid. These posters featured notable figures like Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Martin Luther King Jr., Moses, and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, but the primary focus remained on the Ten Commandments. Each display included a “context statement” indicating the historical presence of the Ten Commandments in American public education for nearly three centuries.
In June, Republican Governor Jeff Landry signed the legislation, making Louisiana the first state to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms and state-funded universities. This law is part of a series of conservative legislative changes enacted in the state this year.
When questioned about parental concerns regarding the Commandments in classrooms, the governor suggested that if parents find the posters objectionable, they should simply advise their children not to look at them.
Following an agreement reached last month between the court and state, the five schools listed in the lawsuit will postpone posting the commandments in classrooms until after November 15, and will delay any regulations regarding the law’s execution until that date. However, the January 1, 2025, compliance deadline for schools statewide remains unchanged.
Importantly, Louisiana’s law does not mandate the expenditure of public funds for the Ten Commandments posters. It permits school systems to accept donations for the procurement of these displays. Concerns persist about how the law will be enforced, particularly in cases where sufficient donations are not received to meet the requirements.
