Louisiana's Ten Commandments law in public schools temporarily blocked, federal judge orders
A coalition of parents attempting to block a state law that will require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms by next year have won a legal battle in federal court.
A coalition of parents attempting to block a state law that will require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms by next year have won a legal battle in federal court.
An order issued Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John deGravelles grants the plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction, which means the state can't begin its plan to promote and create rules surrounding the law as soon as Friday while the litigation plays out.
DeGravelles heard arguments on Oct. 21 over the controversial legislation, which makes Louisiana the first state in the nation to require all public K-12 schools and colleges to exhibit posters of the Ten Commandments, the religious text that was revealed to Moses in the Bible and remains revered by followers of the Christian faith. The law dictates that schools have by Jan. 1 to comply.
Gov. Jeff Landry signed the GOP-backed legislation in June, part of his conservative agenda that has reshaped Louisiana's cultural landscape, from abortion rights to criminal justice to education.
The move prompted a coalition of parents — Jewish, Christian, Unitarian Universalist and nonreligious — to sue the state in federal court. They argued that the law "substantially interferes with and burdens" their First Amendment right to raise their children with whatever religious doctrine they want.
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