The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has sided with Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill in a case concerning the implementation of a state law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools. The court granted Murrill's motion to block a federal judge’s statewide injunction, clearing the way for most school districts to move forward with implementing the law.
“This reaffirms that all Louisiana school boards not involved in the original lawsuit can move forward with implementing the Ten Commandments posters ahead of the January 1, 2025, deadline in accordance with the law,” Murrill said in a statement. “I look forward to immediately working with all of our school boards who are not involved in this lawsuit to implement the law soon.”
The ruling means school boards not named in the lawsuit can post the Ten Commandments in schools. However, the appeal involving five school boards named in the original lawsuit is still pending.
The case stems from a federal district judge’s preliminary injunction that aimed to stop the statewide enforcement of the law. The law requires schools to display the Ten Commandments prominently in classrooms by the start of 2025. Opponents argue the mandate violates constitutional protections regarding the separation of church and state.
The injunction temporarily halted implementation statewide, but the Fifth Circuit’s decision limits the scope of the injunction to only the five school boards involved in the lawsuit.
Murrill said her office will work closely with school boards across Louisiana to ensure they meet the January 1 deadline. The attorney general’s office emphasized that compliance is voluntary for districts not part of the lawsuit until the legal proceedings are finalized.
The pending appeal for the five involved school boards remains a key part of the ongoing legal battle.
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