Ten Commandments in Louisiana classrooms blocked by court : NPR
A copy of the ten commandments is published with other historical documents in a corridor of the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta on June 20, 2024. On Friday, a panel of federal judges on appeal judged that Louisiana law requiring the ten commandments in the public school classes of the State is not institutional.
John Bazemore / AP
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John Bazemore / AP
New Orleans – A panel of three federal judges on appeal ruled that a Louisiana law demanding that the ten commandments be displayed in each of the classrooms of the state public schools is unconstitutional.
The decision on Friday marked a major victory for the groups of civil freedoms which say that the mandate violates the separation of the Church and the State, and that the exhibitions of the size of a poster would isolate the students – in particular those who are not Christians.
The mandate was presented by the Republicans, including President Donald Trump, and marks one of the last push by the Conservatives to integrate religion into classrooms. The donors of the law maintain that the ten commandments belong to classrooms because they are historic and are part of the basis of American law.
“This is a resounding victory for the separation of the Church and public and public education,” said Heather L. Weaver, principal lawyer for the American Union American. “With today’s decision, the fifth circuit held Louisiana responsible for a basic constitutional promise: public schools are not Sunday schools, and they must welcome all students, whatever the faith.”
Lawyers and Louisiana of the complainants do not agree that the decision of the Court of Appeal applied to each public school district of the State or only to the part of the districts at the trial.
“All the state’s school districts are required to comply with the American Constitution,” said Liz Hayes, spokesperson for the United Americans for the separation of the Church and the State, which was Coconsseil of the complainants.
The decisions of the Court of Appeal “interpret the law of all of Louisiana,” added Hayes. “Thus, all school districts must respect this decision and not display the ten commandments in their classes.”
Louisiana plans to appeal the decision
Louisiana’s general prosecutor, Liz Murrill, said she disagreed and thought that the decision applied only to school districts of the five parishes which had gone to the trial. Murrill added that she would appeal the decision, in particular by taking her to the Supreme Court of the United States if necessary.
The panel of judges examining the case was unusually liberal for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals American. In a court with more than twice as many republican judges, two of the three judges involved in the decision were appointed by Democratic presidents.
The court’s decision comes from a legal action tabled last year by parents of schoolchildren from Louisiana from various religious horizons, who declared that the law violates the first amendment guaranteeing religious freedom and prohibiting the establishment of the government of religion.
The decision also supports an ordinance last fall by the American district judge John Degravelles, who declared the unconstitutional mandate and ordered state education officials not to apply it and inform all local school councils in the state of his decision.
Republican governor Jeff Landry signed the mandate last June.
Landry said on Friday in a statement that he supported the prosecutor general to appeal.
“The ten commandments are the foundation of our laws – serving both an educational and historical objective in our classrooms,” said Landry.
Law experts have long declared that they expect the Louisiana affair to go to the United States Supreme Court, testing the Court on the issue of religion and the government.
Similar laws were challenged before the court.
A group of families from Arkansas brought in federal legal action earlier this month, dispute that an almost identical law adopted in their state. And the legislation comparable to Texas is currently awaiting the signature of governor Greg Abbott.
In 1980, the United States Supreme Court judged that Kentucky law violated the establishment of the American Constitution, which said that the Congress cannot “make any law concerning the creation of religion”. The court concluded that the law had no secular goal but served a clearly religious objective.
And in 2005, the Supreme Court judged that such displays in a pair of Kentucky courthouse violated the Constitution. At the same time, the court confirmed a marker of ten commandments on the grounds of Texas State Capitol in Austin.
