Appeals Court Affirms Decision to Block Louisiana’s Law Requiring Display of Ten Commandments in Public Schools

November 20, 2024 TruthUSA

The law will remain in effect in five school districts involved in the case, while staying in other parts of the state until a final decision is made.

A federal appeals court in New Orleans has denied the state’s request to overturn a lower court ruling that deemed a Louisiana law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms unconstitutional and blocked its enforcement.

However, the appeals court limited the block to only five school districts currently part of ongoing litigation, allowing state officials to enforce the law in the remaining 67 districts until a final decision is reached in the case.

The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order on Nov. 20 denying a request to temporarily stay a previous order by U.S. District Judge John deGravelles in Baton Rouge that declared Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law, or House Bill 71, as unconstitutional. DeGravelles determined that the plaintiffs had a strong chance of success in the case and instructed state education officials to notify all 72 school districts of the law’s invalidation.

On Nov. 15, the same appeals court issued an administrative stay limiting deGravelles’s notification requirement to the five districts involved in the lawsuit, meaning the remaining 67 districts must comply with the Jan. 1 deadline to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill commended the Nov. 15 decision, stating that deGravelles overstepped his authority by mandating statewide notification of the law’s unconstitutionality.

“The Fifth Circuit grants our motion to block the district court’s attempt to enjoin the Ten Commandments law statewide. I look forward to working with all of our school boards not part of this lawsuit to implement the law promptly,” Murrill said in a post on X on Nov. 15.

State attorneys appealed deGravelles’s order in its entirety, but the appeals court upheld the ruling in its Nov. 20 decision. In response, Murrill reaffirmed her office’s commitment to defending the law, which still applies in over 60 school boards.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation showed support for the Nov. 20 ruling.

“We’re pleased that the Court of Appeals upheld the district court’s injunction,” the group stated in a post on X. “According to the district court, this law is facially unconstitutional.”

Meanwhile, the legal battle over the law continues, with arguments before a Fifth Circuit panel scheduled for Jan. 23, 2025. This means that after the Jan. 1 enforcement deadline, the 67 school districts will need to comply with the law and display the Ten Commandments in all K–12 public classrooms and universities.

Enacted by Louisiana’s Legislature and signed by Gov. Jeff Landry in June 2024, the law mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms on an 11×14-inch poster or framed document with a clear, readable font. Additionally, a 200-word statement highlighting the historical significance of the text in American public education is required.

The law was challenged in court, with the plaintiffs arguing in their complaint that it violates their rights under the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.

Supporting the plaintiffs, deGravelles described the law in his Nov. 12 order as “overtly religious” and “unconstitutional on its face.”

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