US court verdicts Ten Commandments regulation ‘unconstitutional’
Date
11/14/2024 7:27:17 AM
(MENAFN) A federal court in Louisiana has struck down a law mandating the display of Christianity’s Ten Commandments in public schools across the state, ruling it unconstitutional. The law, which was passed in June by Republican Governor Jeff Landry, required all state-funded schools, from primary to university level, to display the Ten Commandments in large, readable font in every classroom by January 1, 2025. Louisiana was the only state to pass such legislation.
The law had been praised by then-President-elect Donald Trump, who called it a significant step toward reviving religion in America. However, on Tuesday, just days after Trump’s re-election, Federal Judge John deGravelles, appointed by former President Barack Obama, blocked the law. DeGravelles deemed it “unconstitutional on its face,” describing it as discriminatory and coercive, and argued that it violated the religious freedoms of individuals who opposed such displays.
The Ten Commandments, a central Christian text, is seen by supporters of the law as an important historical and cultural symbol that should be reinstated in public schools. However, the challenge to the statute was filed by a group of Louisiana families from diverse religious backgrounds, including Jewish, Christian, and non-religious individuals. The plaintiffs cited a 1980 US Supreme Court ruling that struck down similar laws in Kentucky, asserting that the US Constitution’s separation of church and state prohibits such displays in public schools.
Louisiana’s case follows other legal challenges in the South, including one in Oklahoma, where lawsuits have been filed over requirements for Bibles to be included in public school lesson plans and stocked in classrooms.
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