Louisiana’s plan to require all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments remains on hold under an order by a federal appeals court in New Orleans.
The big picture: The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a state request to temporarily stay an earlier order by US District Judge John deGravelles, with arguments before a 5th Circuit panel scheduled for January 23.
- The court ruling affects the law’s enforcement in the state’s 67 school districts while litigation continues.
- The law, passed by the GOP-dominated Legislature, was deemed unconstitutional and overtly religious by the district court, leading to a legal challenge by a group of Louisiana public school parents of different faiths.
Driving the news: Proponents argue that the Ten Commandments have historical significance to the foundation of US law, while opponents argue that the law isolates students, particularly those who are not Christian, and the specified version of the Ten Commandments does not match any version found in Jewish tradition.
- Similar bills requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms have been proposed in other states, but none have passed.
