Louisiana has made a bold move by requiring that every public school classroom, from elementary to university level, must have a poster displaying the Ten Commandments. Governor Jeff Landry signed the Republican-backed measure into law, stating that the commandments are essential documents for our state and national government.
However, this law is expected to face challenges from civil rights groups who argue that it goes against the separation of church and state outlined in the US Constitution’s Establishment Clause. This clause prohibits the government from establishing or promoting any specific religion.
The state law mandates that the poster must feature the sacred text in a large, easily readable font on an 11 by 14-inch poster. The commandments should be the central focus of the display, accompanied by a four-paragraph “context statement” explaining their historical significance in American public education.
By 2025, all classrooms receiving state funding must have these posters on display, but the state is not providing funding for the posters themselves. Similar laws have been proposed in other Republican-led states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah.
Legal battles surrounding the display of the Ten Commandments in public spaces, including schools, courthouses, and police stations, are not new. In 1980, the US Supreme Court invalidated a Kentucky law that required the display of the commandments in elementary and high schools. The court determined that the law had no secular purpose and was primarily religious in nature, citing references to worshipping God and observing the Sabbath day in the commandments.
While Louisiana’s decision to mandate Ten Commandments posters in classrooms may be seen as a nod to the state’s religious heritage, it raises concerns about the potential violation of the constitutional principle of separation of church and state. As this issue unfolds, it will be interesting to see how legal challenges and debates shape the implementation of this controversial law.
