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5th U.S. Circuit Bars Louisiana Law Mandating Ten Commandments in Classrooms

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill plans to challenge the ruling in the full Fifth Circuit with a subsequent appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.

Overview

  • A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court unanimously upheld a November decision that the postings violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
  • The law, signed by Gov. Jeff Landry in June 2024, required 11-by-14-inch posters of the Ten Commandments in every public K-12 and state university classroom without any exemption.
  • Parents from diverse religious backgrounds sued last year, arguing the mandate coerced students into religious observance and singled out non-Christian pupils.
  • Advocacy groups including the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State hailed the ruling as a defense of religious liberty and student inclusion.
  • Attorney General Liz Murrill has said she will seek relief from the full Fifth Circuit and, if that fails, bring the case before the U.S. Supreme Court