Baton Rouge, Louisiana — A federal judge on Monday struck down an Arkansas law requiring the Ten Commandments to be prominently displayed in public school classrooms.
This law is among the laws that Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have pushed to implement Integrate religion In public schools. Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas have enacted similar laws requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms. As such, each state has faced legal challenges that many expect will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Here’s a closer look at the state of the states, which has sparked long-standing debate about… The role of religion In government institutions.
Last year, seven Arkansas families from various religious and non-religious backgrounds I filed a lawsuit Challenge a new state law requiring all public elementary and secondary schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library. The lawsuit names six Arkansas school districts as defendants.
While it is unclear how many school districts or publicly funded universities have hung the posters, local media have cited multiple examples over the past five months. This includes the Ten Commandments, which is published by the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville campus, the Arkansas Advocate organization I mentioned In October.
Critics argue that the mandate is unconstitutional and violates the separation of church and state. Supporters of the legislation say the Ten Commandments have historical significance and are part of the foundation of the United States
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks in his written ruling: “Nothing can justify the suspension of the Ten Commandments — with or without historical context — in calculus, chemistry, French, or carpentry lessons, to name a few.”
Brooks, who was nominated Former President Barack Obama went on to write that “there is no need to strain our minds to imagine a constitutional proposition imposed” by the 2025 law; “One does not exist,” he wrote.
While Brooks’ ruling bars this requirement, it is unclear how broadly his decision can be applied — if it is limited to the specific school districts mentioned in the lawsuit or if it applies to the entire state. Megan Bailey, a spokeswoman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, one of the groups representing parents challenging the law, said the ruling “makes clear that the law is unconstitutional.”
“Given that, it would not be wise for any school district in Arkansas to move forward with publishing the Ten Commandments,” Bailey told the Associated Press.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement that she plans to appeal the ruling and “defend our state’s values.”
In 2024, it became Louisiana The first country To mandate a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom, from kindergarten through college.
While that challenge has made its way through the federal courts for nearly two years, a ruling last month overturned a previous court order that had blocked the law from taking effect, clearing the way for the installation of displays in classrooms.
Immediately following it February 20 ruling From the 5th U.S. Circuit of Appeals, Gov. Jeff Landry instructed schools to follow the law and publish the Ten Commandments. In a letter to teachers, Landry wrote that the court’s decision “removes any obstacles to implementing Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law” and that schools “should now begin placing posters in classrooms.”
The law requires schools to accept donated Ten Commandments posters, which must contain “large, easy-to-read font.” Earlier this year, a conservative advocacy group, called the Louisiana Family Forum, sent posters to most of the state’s parochial school systems, The New Orleans Advocate/The Times-Picayune I mentioned.
There have not yet been widespread reports of schools putting up the posters, with some school officials expressing concerns about potential lawsuits. However, others say it is imminent. They include Louisiana State University President Wade Ross, who said the university intends to comply with the law, but had not received donated stickers until last week.
Last year, a similar mandate in Texas went into effect – On the occasion of the country’s largest attempt to suspend the Ten Commandments in public schools.
With no shortage of strong opinions among teachers, parents and students, the posters began appearing in classrooms as school districts accepted donations or paid to print them. About two dozen of the state’s roughly 1,200 school districts have been banned from putting up the posters after federal judges Issued Judicial rulings in cases violating the law.
In January, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments regarding the Texas law, and the lawsuit remains pending.