Louisiana orders every classroom to display Ten Commandments
Louisiana has enacted legislation making it mandatory for every public school classroom from elementary through university levels to feature a poster displaying the Ten Commandments, marking a significant first among US states. Signed into law by Governor Jeff Landry and supported by Republicans, the measure characterizes these commandments as foundational to both state and national governance.
Anticipated to face legal challenges from civil rights groups, the law is criticized for potentially violating the separation of church and state safeguarded by the US Constitution’s Establishment Clause. This clause prohibits the government from establishing religion or interfering with its exercise.
According to the new state law, the poster must prominently feature the Ten Commandments in a large, easily readable font on an 11 by 14-inch canvas, with the commandments as the central focus. Accompanying the display must be a contextual statement spanning four paragraphs, highlighting the historical presence of these commandments in American public education for nearly three centuries.
By 2025, all classrooms receiving state funding must comply with this requirement, although the state does not provide funding for the posters themselves. Similar initiatives have been proposed in other Republican-led states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah.
Legal battles over the display of the Ten Commandments in public institutions, including schools, have a long history. In a notable 1980 case, the US Supreme Court struck down a Kentucky law mandating their display in elementary and high schools, ruling that such a requirement lacked a secular purpose and was inherently religious.
The court noted that in addition to criminal matters like killing and stealing, the Ten Commandments also made references to worshipping God including observing the Sabbath day.
