Federal Appeals Court Allows Louisiana Ten Commandments School Law to Proceed

A federal appeals court has removed a legal block preventing Louisiana from requiring Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms. The 12-6 ruling said there wasn't enough information yet to determine if the law violates the Constitution's separation of church and state.

A federal appeals court has removed a legal obstacle blocking Louisiana from implementing its requirement for Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decided 12-6 on Friday to remove an injunction that a district court had imposed on the legislation in 2024. The majority opinion stated that determining the law’s constitutional validity was premature at this stage.

The court explained that crucial details remain unclear, including how conspicuously schools might exhibit the religious text, whether educators will reference the Ten Commandments during instruction, or if additional historical documents such as the Mayflower Compact or Declaration of Independence will accompany the displays.

The panel determined these missing specifics prevented them from evaluating potential First Amendment concerns. The majority stated in their decision that insufficient facts were available to “permit judicial judgment rather than speculation.”

However, the six dissenting judges authored multiple opposing opinions, with some contending the matter was ready for judicial examination and others maintaining the legislation subjects students to government-sanctioned religion in mandatory attendance settings, creating an obvious constitutional violation.

Circuit Judge James L. Dennis stated the law “is precisely the kind of establishment the Framers anticipated and sought to prevent.”

This decision follows the complete court’s hearing of case arguments in January 2026, after a three-judge panel previously determined Louisiana’s legislation was unconstitutional. Arkansas has enacted comparable legislation that faces federal court challenges.

Texas implemented its version on September 1st, representing the nation’s most extensive effort to install Ten Commandments displays in public schools. Although federal judges blocked multiple school districts through injunctions in two lawsuits, many classrooms statewide already feature the posters as districts either funded printing costs directly or accepted donated materials.

These measures represent part of Republican initiatives, including those supported by President Donald Trump, aimed at introducing religious elements into public education. Opponents claim this breaches church-state separation, while supporters maintain the Ten Commandments hold historical significance and helped establish American legal foundations.

Families from diverse religious backgrounds, including Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism, along with clergy and non-religious households, have challenged these laws.

In 1980, the Supreme Court determined a comparable Kentucky statute violated the Constitution’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits Congress from “making any law respecting an establishment of religion.” The court concluded the law lacked secular purpose and served purely religious objectives.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that similar displays in Kentucky courthouses were unconstitutional. Simultaneously, the court permitted a Ten Commandments monument to remain on Texas state Capitol grounds in Austin.