Legal challenges loom as Louisiana mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms

Proponents of the measure emphasize the historical significance of the Ten Commandments as “foundational documents of our state and national government.”

Louisiana has become the first state to mandate the Ten Commandments to be prominently displayed in every public school classroom, from kindergarten to state-funded universities, according to media reports.

The bill, signed into law by Republican Governor Jeff Landry, mandates a poster-size display of the Ten Commandments in a large, easily readable font. Opponents of the law question its constitutionality and warn of potential legal battles. Civil liberties groups, including Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Louisiana, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, have announced their intention to challenge the law in court.

Proponents of the measure emphasize the historical significance of the Ten Commandments as “foundational documents of our state and national government.” By the start of 2025, the posters must be in place in classrooms, with state funds not being used for their implementation. The law also authorizes the display of other historical documents, such as the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the Northwest Ordinance, in K-12 public schools.

Similar bills proposing Ten Commandments displays in classrooms have been introduced in other states, but Louisiana stands alone as the first state to enact such legislation. As legal challenges loom, debate will continue over the intersection of religion, education, and constitutional rights.