(KALB/WVUE/WAFB) – A new Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public classrooms by Jan. 1 has been temporarily blocked after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction. Associated Press.

U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles of Baton Rouge issued the decision Tuesday. The judge said the law was “unconstitutional on its face” and that plaintiffs were likely to win the case by arguing that the law violated the First Amendment.

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The decision marks a victory for opponents of the law, who argued that the law was unconstitutional and a violation of the separation of church and state. Supporters say the Ten Commandments are of historical importance to the foundation of U.S. law.

Attorney General Liz Murril made a statement regarding the decision, saying, “We strongly disagree with the court’s decision and will immediately appeal as the deadline for implementation of HB 71 approaches January 1, 2025.”

The following response came from the ACLU:

In the ruling, Judge John W. DeGravelles ruled that Louisiana’s HB 71, enacted last June, violated the First Amendment and longstanding Supreme Court precedent. More than 40 years ago, Stone/Grahamcase, the Supreme Court struck down a similar state law on the grounds that the First Amendment prohibited public schools from publishing such exhibits. The defendants admitted the following during oral defense: Stone it is still good law and binding on lower courts. The judge explained the following in his 177-page opinion:

(T)hese displays should be displayed “in every classroom in every school” all year round, regardless of the subject and regardless of the age of the student. So the question is not whether biblical laws can be put on a poster; The issue is whether, from a legal perspective, there is any constitutional way to display the Ten Commandments in accordance with the minimum requirements of the Law. In short, the Court found that there was no such situation. First, Stone it is still good law and squarely in place, and this Court must follow it. Second, putting equal Stone aside. . . Plaintiffs have sufficiently alleged that HB 71 does not comply with the Establishment Clauses analysis set forth therein. Kennedy and Fifth Circuit precedent.

Judge DeGravelles also acknowledged that HB 71 would lead to unconstitutional religious oppression by imposing religious doctrine on the child plaintiffs in the case at nearly every hour of the school day throughout their entire public school education. And the plaintiff’s expert, Dr. Citing the testimony of Steven K. Green, the court found that there was no historical support for permanently displaying the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms and that doing so would be contrary to our nation’s Founders. ‘ The concept of separation of church and state. The court’s opinion concludes:

Each of the plaintiffs’ minor children would be forced “in every practical sense” to become “captive spectators” and participate in a religious exercise through Louisiana’s mandatory attendance policy: reading and contemplating a particular version of the Ten Commandments, one no matter the student’s age or the subject of the lesson. It is posted in every classroom throughout the school year. And despite the differences in Plaintiffs’ religious beliefs (whether Unitarian Universalist, Reform Jewish, Presbyterian, or atheist/agnostic), the commonalities are that (1) the necessity of publishing the Ten Commandments conflicts with certain parts of their beliefs, and (2) nearly all Plaintiff parents One of the principles of belief he shares is to raise his children in accordance with his own beliefs and values. Considering the totality of the circumstances, the Court finds that the Act and its requirements are coercive and inconsistent with the First Amendment and the history of public education.

The court also ruled that HB 71 violated the plaintiffs’ rights under the Free Exercise Clause.

After finding that the law violated the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights, the court ordered the defendants to “(1) enforce HB 71; (2) adoption of rules or regulations to implement HB 71; and (3) require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom in Louisiana, pursuant to HB 71.”

The court also ordered the state defendants to notify all elementary, secondary, and charter schools and all public postsecondary educational institutions in Louisiana of the unconstitutionality of the decision and HB 71. The injunction is effective immediately because the court denied the defendants’ request for a stay (or “stay”) of the preliminary injunction while they seek relief from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

“HB 71 is a direct violation of our religious freedom rights, and we are pleased and relieved that the court ruled in our favor,” he said Reverend Darcy RoakeShe is named as a plaintiff in the case along with her husband, Adrian Van Young. “As an interfaith family, we expect our children to receive their secular education in public schools and their religious education at home and within our faith communities, not from state authorities.”

“This decision will ensure that Louisiana families, not politicians or public school officials, decide if, when and how their children become interested in religion,” he said. Rachel Laser is president and CEO of the United States Association for the Separation of Church and State. “This should send a strong message to Christian Nationalists across the country that they cannot impose their beliefs on our nation’s public school children. “It’s not on our watch.”

“This decision should serve as a reality check for Louisiana lawmakers who want to use public schools to convert children to Christianity of their choice,” he said. Heather L. Weaver, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU’s Freedom of Religion or Belief Program. “Public schools are not Sunday schools, and today’s decision ensures that our clients’ classrooms remain places where all students, regardless of faith, are welcome.”

“We are pleased that the First Amendment rights of students and families are protected by this vital court decision,” he said. Patrick Elliott, Legal Director of the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

“Religious freedom (the right to choose one’s faith without coercion) is essential to American democracy.” said ACLU of Louisiana Executive Director Alanah Odoms. “Today’s decision ensures that the schools our plaintiffs’ children attend can focus on learning without promoting a state-preferred version of Christianity.”

Jon Youngwood, Co-Head of Simpson Thacher’s Litigation DepartmentHe added: “We are encouraged by the District Court’s well-reasoned and detailed opinion, based on the wisdom of the First Amendment to the Constitution and the protections it provides regarding the separation of church and state and the free exercise of religion.”

Plaintiffs represented by the ACLU, ACLU of Louisiana, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP serving as pro bono counsel. Roake / Brumley is a multi-faith group of nine Louisiana families whose children attend public schools.

A legal battle over Louisiana’s controversial Ten Commandments law began in court Oct. 21, as state officials and opponents debated whether the law violated constitutional principles.

The case centers on a law that requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom in the state by January 1.

Opponents, including national advocacy groups, argue that the mandate violates the separation of church and state.

“Religious education should take place at home or in a place of worship, not in the classroom,” said Alex Luchenitser, deputy legal director for the League of Americans for the Separation of Church and State.

The lawsuit was filed against the ACLU, the Freedom from Religion Foundation and a New York law firm.

Luchenitser argues that the law directly conflicts with a 1980 Supreme Court decision that struck down a similar mandate in Kentucky.

“This Ten Commandments law violates freedom of religion and the principle of separation of church and state. “This is contrary to the long-standing jurisprudence of the Supreme Court,” he said.

But supporters of the legislation, such as State Sen. Adam Bass, argue that the Ten Commandments have a rightful place in American institutions, citing their presence in the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Although this is a religious document, it has also been placed in more than 180 places, including the Supreme Court of the United States,” Bass said. He called the orders “a historical document on which the laws of this country are based.”

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