Tuesday morning, a federal district court judge ruled Louisiana’ Ten Commandments law unconstitutional. As it stands now, the law requires schools that accept public funding to post the Ten Commandments in all classrooms.
The 177-page ruling claims that the new law is not only a violation of the First Amendment, but also discriminatory and coercive.
As reported by the Daily Citizen, the state’s House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the measure in the spring and was signed into law by Louisiana’s governor in June.
Supporters of the law say they expected a loss at this stage of the legal challenge.
The state representative who authored the legislation told KEEL News, “The Judge is an Obama appointee and we expected him to rule against us. It is a process.”
In a statement to local media, Louisiana’s attorney general made clear her office intends to defend the Ten Commandments displays in classrooms.
Focus on the Family applauds the state of Louisiana for passing this law and for their resolve to defend it legally.
We are hopeful that it will be more favorably received at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and uphold it as constitutional.
The Ten Commandments have a special significance in American history and Western Civilization. They serve as a framework for secular legal codes of the West. They also convey a set of universal moral guidelines to promote more ethical individuals and societies.
To display the Ten Commandments in classrooms is to remind students of its historical significance and to acknowledge its influence in the development of this country.
According to Louisiana’s attorney general, “This decision only binds five of Louisiana’s many school boards.”
The new law’s deadline for implementation in classrooms is January 1, 2025.
The Daily Citizen will continue to report on this developing story.
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