A US federal judge has struck down a Louisiana law that required classrooms across the state to display the Ten Commandments, following criticisms that it is a violation of the First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom. US District Judge John W. deGravelles issued the ruling on Tuesday, stating that the law had “an overtly religious purpose.”
The law, enacted earlier this year, sparked heated debate over whether it breached the constitutional rights of students. State officials argued that the display of the Ten Commandments had historical significance tied to the nation’s legal foundation, but opponents viewed it as a clear infringement on religious freedom.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, a vocal supporter of the mandate, previously defended the law, asserting that Judeo-Christian principles are central to the country’s foundation.
“I didn’t know that living the Ten Commandments is a bad way to live life,” Landry said earlier this year in a Fox News interview. “I didn’t know that it was so vile to obey the Ten Commandments. I think that speaks volumes about how eroded this country has become. I mean, look, this country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and every time we steer away from that, we have problems in our nation. I mean, right now, schools… basically treat kids like critters and yet the Ten Commandments is something bad to put in schools? It’s just amazing, it really is.”
Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill announced plans to appeal the ruling and seek a stay from the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, according to the Associated Press. She also emphasized that the judge’s ruling should currently apply only to the school boards named as defendants, with other systems still subject to the mandate for now.
