Louisiana’s Ten Commandments Law Is Unconstitutional, Appeals Court Says

A federal appeals court on Friday blocked a Louisiana law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every classroom of the state’s public schools and universities.

A panel of three judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit unanimously upheld a lower court decision that the law was “plainly unconstitutional.” Lawmakers in Louisiana passed the measure in 2024, which mandated the display of a printed poster with the Ten Commandments.

Louisiana was the first state to enact such a requirement since 1980, when the Supreme Court struck down a similar Kentucky law on First Amendment grounds.

Supporters of the legislation had anticipated a lengthy legal fight, which could climb as high as the Supreme Court. The law fits into a movement by conservative Christian groups that are challenging longstanding limitations on public expressions of faith.

Still, the ruling on Friday represents a setback for those groups, as the Fifth Circuit is widely regarded as among the country’s most conservative.

Louisiana’s attorney general, Liz Murrill, said in a statement on Friday that she strongly disagreed with the decision and vowed to fight it. “We will immediately seek relief from the full Fifth Circuit and, if necessary, the United States Supreme Court,” said Ms. Murrill, a Republican.