A lawsuit has been filed by a group of Louisiana parents and civil rights organizations against the state over its new law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in all public classrooms. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, argues that the legislation violates both US Supreme Court precedent and the First Amendment.
House Bill 71, signed by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, requires a poster-sized display of a state-approved version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom from kindergarten through the university level at state-funded schools by January 1, 2025. Louisiana is currently the only state with this requirement.
In the complaint, the plaintiffs claim that mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in every classroom pressures students into religious observance and adoption of the state’s favored religious scripture. The lawsuit is being brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Louisiana, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, on behalf of nine multi-faith families with students enrolled in Louisiana public schools.
“This law strikes at the core of religious freedom,” said Alanah Odoms, executive director of ACLU Louisiana. The lawsuit names state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley and several other Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education officials, as well as some local school boards.
Brumley said he looks forward to implementing the law and defending Louisiana’s sovereignty. Several parents spoke at a news conference about why they are suing over the new law. Josh Herlands, a Jewish father participating in the lawsuit, called the legislation “unconstitutional, divisive, intolerant, and frankly un-American.”
Rev. Darcy Roake, a Unitarian Universalist minister, expressed concerns that the law will create an unwelcoming and oppressive school environment for children. Presbyterian Rev. Jeff Sims believes the law is a gross intrusion of civil authority into matters of faith.
The organizations behind the lawsuit plan to work toward obtaining a preliminary injunction hearing this summer to prevent the law from being implemented for the children in Louisiana. Louisiana state Rep. Dodie Horton, the Republican author of the legislation, has defended the law by stating that the Ten Commandments are rooted in legal history and her bill would instill a moral code in the classroom.
