Louisiana Delays Ten Commandments in Classrooms as Law Faces Challenge

This article was originally published in Louisiana Illuminator.

An agreement has been reached to temporarily ban Louisiana schools from posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom, while a lawsuit from parents is pending against a new law requiring them.

U.S. District Judge John DeGravelles of Louisiana’s Middle District in Baton Rouge on Friday signed a compromise between parents and the state to ban religious expression from schools at least through Nov. 15. A new state law requires the Ten Commandments to be in effect in all public K-12 classrooms and at all colleges and universities that accept state money by Jan. 1, 2025. Posters and framed pictures, which must be at least 11 by 14 inches, could have been hung when classes start next month.

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According to the federal court, DeGravelles, who was appointed to the federal circuit court by former President Barack Obama, has set a September 30 hearing date in the lawsuit.

In the meantime, the agreement also prevents the State Council for Basic and Secondary Education from issuing any rules or guidelines regarding the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools until November 15.

‘I can’t wait to get sued’: Louisiana Ten Commandments law isn’t just about schools

The office of Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is defending the state against the lawsuit filed by the parents of nine public school students. In a text message, agency spokesman Lester Duhé stressed that the agreement does not cast an unfavorable light on the new law.

“The law is not ‘paused,’ ‘blocked,’ or ‘stopped,’” Duhé wrote, in part. “At the request of the trial court, the named defendants … agreed not to take any public compliance measures until November 15 to allow sufficient time for briefing, oral argument, and a decision.”

In a subsequent text message, Murrill repeated Duhé’s statement.

“The judge refused to accelerate the briefing schedule because nothing had happened to warrant it,” Murrill added.

Governor Jeff Landry has been a champion of the new law, most recently doing so in an interview with Nexstar Television at the Republican National Convention, claiming that the Ten Commandments could have stopped the attempted assassination of former President Trump over the weekend.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs argue that the new law violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because it amounts to a state endorsement of religion.

Groups representing the plaintiffs include the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. Their attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose with questions: [email protected]. Follow Louisiana Illuminator on Facebook and X.