Fifth Circuit Lifts Block on Louisiana Ten Commandments Law

A federal appeals court has lifted a lower court block on a Louisiana law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, paving the way for its enforcement while leaving broader constitutional questions for future litigation.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled Friday in a 12-6 decision that it was premature to assess the law's constitutionality without details on how local school districts implement it. The unsigned majority opinion emphasized that factors such as the prominence of the displays, accompanying materials and instructional references remain unknown. "We do not know, for example, how prominently the displays will appear, what other materials might accompany them, or how, if at all, teachers will reference them during instruction," the court stated. The ruling vacates a November 2024 federal district court injunction that had halted House Bill 71, signed into law by Gov. Jeff Landry in June 2024.

The law mandates a poster-sized or framed copy of the Ten Commandments, at least 11 by 14 inches, in every public elementary, secondary and postsecondary classroom in the state. The display must include a statement on the...