The Ten Commandments law returned to court last week where the plaintiffs argued that the law violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Louisiana passed the law in May 2024 requiring the Ten Commandments — a list of biblical laws — to be displayed in every public K-12 and university classroom by Jan. 1, 2025. Gov. Jeff Landry signed the bill into law on June 19, 2024.
The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Church and State and Freedom From Religion Foundation later filed a lawsuit on behalf of parents, alleging First Amendment violations.
U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles ruled against the law in November 2024, deeming it unconstitutional.
Seventeen judges from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reheard arguments in the case on Jan. 20, after the court ruled against Murrill in June 2024. “We believe that you can apply this law constitutionally,” Murrill said on the steps of the John Minor Wisdom Court of Appeals Building.
One of the main arguments against the law is that it goes against the Constitution’s Establishment Clause, which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
“It’s not establishing anything,” Murrill said. “[The Ten Commandments is a] foundational document of one of the foundational lawgivers that is part of our historical tradition.“
The public school families were represented by the law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, with attorney Jonathan Youngwood serving as counsel. “If the government is going to put up a central tenet of a religion as a state-selected scripture, I think that is turning the school in part into a church,” Youngwood said.
Landry also attended the hearing.“I think Americans are just tired of the hypocrisy. I just think that it’s high time that we embrace what tradition and heritage is in this country, and I agree with the attorney general,” he said. “I like our chances.”