Louisiana has become the first state to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public classroom, including colleges and universities, effective January 1, 2025. The new law, signed by Governor Jeff Landry, mandates that the Commandments be prominently displayed on posters at least 11 by 14 inches with a clear, readable font.
Governor Landry stated, “If you want to respect the rule of law, you’ve got to start from the original lawgiver, which was Moses.” Proponents argue that the Ten Commandments provide valuable lessons and are a historical document that has significantly influenced American legal principles.
However, the law has already drawn sharp criticism and promises of legal challenges from civil rights groups. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation have labeled the mandate “blatantly unconstitutional.” Alanah Odoms, executive director of ACLU Louisiana, remarked, “Governor Landry’s decision to require schools to display the Ten Commandments is a disappointing step backward.”
Critics argue that the law violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits government endorsement of religion. In a joint statement, opposing groups declared, “Our public schools are not Sunday schools, and students of all faiths, or no faith, should feel welcome in them.”
The Supreme Court’s recent rulings, particularly the 2022 decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, which sided with a high school coach’s right to pray on the field, have emboldened supporters of the law. These rulings have signaled a shift towards a more lenient interpretation of the Establishment Clause.
Matt Krause, a lawyer for the First Liberty Institute, asserted, “The Ten Commandments is there, time and time again, as the basis and foundation for the system that America was built upon.” Yet, scholars and civil rights advocates caution that the law represents an overreach that could undermine the separation of church and state.
Charles C. Haynes, a senior fellow at the Freedom Forum, noted, “Even this court will have a hard time justifying what lawmakers have conceived. The result could amount to a catastrophic erosion in the divisions between government and religion.”
