Louisiana has become the first state in the United States to legally mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom, from kindergarten through state funded universities. This legislation was signed into law by Governor Jeff Landry on Wednesday.
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The law requires that every classroom in public schools including those at the university level, display a poster of the Ten Commandments.
The posters must be 11 inches by 14 inches (28 cm by 35.5 cm) and printed in large, easily readable font. The Ten Commandments must be the central focus of the display.
Each poster must include a four-paragraph statement that describes the role of the Ten Commandments in American public education and their influence on state and national governance.
The posters must be displayed by the beginning of the 2025 school year. No state funding is provided for the posters. They are to be paid for through private donations.
The law is reminiscent of a 1980 Kentucky law that required the display of the Ten Commandments in schools, which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court for violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
The Court ruled that the law lacked a secular legislative purpose and was religious in nature. Given the Supreme Court’s stance on such issues, legal experts predict that Louisiana’s law will face challenges.
The Supreme Court’s 1980 decision is often cited as a benchmark in cases involving the separation of church and state.
Landry emphasized the historical importance of the Ten Commandments, stating that they are “the original law given,” and linked them to a respect for the rule of law.
No state funds will be used to implement this mandate. Instead, the posters will be financed through donations. This approach avoids the direct use of taxpayer money, potentially circumventing additional legal challenges.
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The law also authorizes, but does not require, the display of other historical documents in K-12 public schools. These include the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence and the Northwest Ordinance.
Governor Jeff Landry signed the bill into law at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in Lafayette, addressing the importance of moral and religious teachings.
Landry stated, “If you want to respect the rule of law, you’ve got to start from the original lawgiver, which was Moses.”
Civil rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, have announced plans to challenge the law in court.
These groups argue that the law violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits government endorsement of religion.
Opponents stress that the law imposes a specific religious doctrine in public schools, potentially alienating students with different beliefs.
They argue that the government should not take sides in theological debates and that the Ten Commandments are a religious text not suitable for mandatory display in public educational settings.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1980 decision regarding a similar Kentucky law found that mandatory display of the Ten Commandments in public schools was unconstitutional.
Similar bills have been proposed in states like Texas, Oklahoma and Utah, although none have yet succeeded in becoming law.
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