Louisiana has made history by becoming the first U.S. state to mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom, a move that has sparked controversy and promises of legal challenges. The legislation, signed into law by Republican Governor Jeff Landry on Wednesday, requires a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in “large, easily readable font” in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities.
Proponents of the law argue that the Ten Commandments have historical significance and are “foundational documents of our state and national government.” The posters will be accompanied by a four-paragraph “context statement” describing how the Ten Commandments “were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries.”
However, opponents question the constitutionality of the law and have vowed to challenge it in court. Civil rights groups and organizations advocating for the separation of church and state, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, have promised to file a lawsuit challenging the law.
These groups argue that the law prevents students from receiving an equal education and will make children with different beliefs feel unsafe at school. They also point out that even among those who believe in the Ten Commandments, the specific text adhered to can vary by religious denomination or tradition, and the government should not take sides in this theological debate.
The controversial law comes during a new era of conservative leadership in Louisiana, with Republicans holding a supermajority in the legislature and every statewide elected position. Similar bills requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms have been proposed in other states, such as Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah, but no state besides Louisiana has succeeded in making them law due to threats of legal battles over their constitutionality.
Legal battles over the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms are not new. In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a similar Kentucky law was unconstitutional and violated the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits Congress from making laws respecting an establishment of religion. The high court found that the Kentucky law had no secular purpose but rather served a plainly religious purpose.
As Louisiana becomes the first state to mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, the stage is set for a legal showdown that could have far-reaching implications for the separation of church and state in the United States.
