Louisiana Law Mandating Ten Commandments Display in Schools Upheld by Fifth Circuit Appeals Court
A recent ruling by the full Fifth Circuit of Appeals has overturned a preliminary injunction that had prevented Louisiana from enforcing a law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. The law, known as H.B. 71, was passed in 2024 and requires a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities. A group of parents of Louisiana public school students had filed a lawsuit against the law in June 2024.
The district court issued a preliminary injunction in July 2024, which was upheld by a three-panel ruling from the Fifth Circuit in June 2025, deeming the law unconstitutional. However, the full panel of judges recently vacated the preliminary injunction, stating that the issue was not whether the law is constitutional, but whether it is fit for judicial resolution at this time. They also noted that the preliminary injunction was based on unresolved factual and contextual questions, making relief premature.
Louisiana officials had attempted to distinguish their law from a similar Kentucky law that was found unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1980 by suggesting that secular documents could also be posted, but only the Ten Commandments were required. Attorney General Liz Murrill announced that Louisiana public schools can now immediately begin posting displays of the Ten Commandments following the Fifth Circuit's ruling.
In conclusion, the recent decision by the full Fifth Circuit of Appeals has allowed Louisiana to move forward with the enforcement of the law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. This ruling overturns the previous preliminary injunction and paves the way for the implementation of the controversial law in educational settings across the state.