A federal appeals court upheld a ruling that blocked a Louisiana law requiring public school classrooms to display posters of the Ten Commandments. This decision marks a significant victory for the separation of church and state, as highlighted by ACLU attorney Heather L. Weaver. Last June, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed House Bill 71, intending to promote religious instruction by mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms. The law faced legal challenges, with arguments that it adhered to the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause being dismissed by courts. A Louisiana federal judge previously deemed the law “facially unconstitutional,” and the Fifth Circuit Court unanimously agreed, emphasizing that the law would subject students to constant religious displays without an opt-out option. Similar efforts to promote religious instruction in public schools have emerged in other states, like Oklahoma, where the State Superintendent called for the incorporation of the Bible into school curriculums.
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