A federal appeals court has struck down Louisiana’s controversial mandate requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom across the state.

According to the Daily Caller, the ruling reinforces a previous decision by a lower court and marks a significant win for civil liberties groups who argued that the law violated constitutional protections by promoting religion in public schools.

The case centers around a 2024 state law, signed by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, requiring public schools in Louisiana to place the Ten Commandments in front of students. Louisiana was the first state in the nation to adopt such a measure through legislation.

Appellate Court Sides With Religious Freedom Advocates

On Friday, a panel of three judges from a federal appeals court ruled that the classroom display law is unconstitutional. Their decision upheld U.S. District Judge John deGravelles’ earlier finding that the law breached the First Amendment’s requirement to maintain a separation between church and state.

The court’s opinion effectively blocks the Louisiana Department of Education from continuing to enforce the display requirement in the state’s public school system. Judge deGravelles had previously issued an order to that effect in response to a lawsuit filed by concerned parents.

That legal challenge had been initiated by a diverse group of parents with children enrolled in public schools across Louisiana. Coming from a range of religious backgrounds, they claimed the law subjected their children to mandatory religious messaging, thereby infringing on their rights.

Parents Argue Law Forces Religion Into Public Education

The lawsuit emphasized that the requirement imposed a specific religious viewpoint inside a government-run educational setting. According to the parents, this undermined the principle of religious neutrality that is central to public education in the United States.

In response to the appellate court’s ruling, Heather L. Weaver, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, praised the decision. Speaking to the Associated Press, she called it “a resounding victory for the separation of church and state and public education.”

Weaver added that the decision affirms a key constitutional value, explaining that “public schools are not Sunday schools, and they must welcome all students, regardless of faith.”

Officials Signal Plans to Challenge the Ruling

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill expressed strong disagreement with the court’s position. She noted that the order legally bars enforcement of the mandate only within the five school districts involved in the lawsuit thus far.

Murrill also confirmed that the state intends to appeal the decision, potentially setting the stage for a broader legal battle that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court. No timeline for the appeal has been publicly disclosed.

The Louisiana law is part of a growing trend among some states seeking to introduce religious language and symbols into public institutions. In April 2025, Arkansas enacted a similar requirement, mandating Ten Commandments displays in all public schools, government-funded buildings, and universities.

Other States Also Test Legal Boundaries

Legislation mirroring Louisiana’s was signed into law by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, with implementation set for August. That initiative is now being contested in federal court by families citing similar religious freedom issues.

Texas also joined the legislative trend earlier this year. In May, its state legislature approved a bill to require classroom displays of the Ten Commandments, although legal challenges are now anticipated there as well.

Legal experts note that this issue echoes previous church-state separation cases. In one notable example, a federal court ruled that a Ten Commandments monument in Alabama’s State Judicial Building was an impermissible religious display and must be removed.

Historical Displays and Legal Precedent

Not all public religious symbols have been successfully challenged. In Grand Junction, Colorado, a 42-year-old Ten Commandments sculpture remains in front of city hall as of June 27, 2001, though its permanence has not been legally contested recently.

These differing outcomes underscore how context and application of religious symbols in public spaces heavily influence court decisions. In the case of Louisiana's classroom law, judges appear to have been swayed by the compulsory nature of the display and the public school setting.

As similar laws arise in other states, legal observers expect more lawsuits to test the constitutional boundaries. While legal precedent generally supports the idea that religious texts cannot be mandated in public schools, variations in how laws are written can influence each case’s outcome.

Next Steps in a Polarized Legal Landscape

Louisiana’s appeal may bring the case before the U.S. Supreme Court, depending on how the next rounds in lower courts proceed. Until then, enforcement of the Ten Commandments law remains halted in the five affected school districts.

Opponents of the law say the ruling sends a clear message that public schools should serve students of all faiths—or none—without embedding specific religious doctrines into the curriculum or environment.

Supporters argue that the Ten Commandments offer valuable moral guidance and have historical significance, though the courts have routinely identified such rationales as insufficient to override constitutional protections.