BATON ROUGE, La. – A federal judge heard arguments on whether to temporarily block a new trial at a hearing Monday. Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments must be displayed in every public school classroom by January 1.
Louisiana, a staunchly Republican state in the Bible Belt, is the only state with such a requirement. Supporters argue that the measure is not only religious, but has historical significance for the foundation of US law. But the expert witness brought by the plaintiffs spoke against the law.
Legal historian Stephen Green, a professor of law, history and religious studies at Willamette University in Oregon, testified that there is “no evidence whatsoever” that the Ten Commandments were considered by the country’s founders when they were drafting the foundation of the US government. legal system.
He added that the Ten Commandments were “at best indirectly effective” for the nation’s founders. Greene said he based his conclusion on numerous historical documents and writings, including the correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who were influential in the drafting of the US Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.
Attorneys for the defendants asked the judge to strike Green’s testimony. Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said Green’s testimony was “unfit for expert testimony” and “subjective” because he was “not alive when these events occurred.”
U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles did not immediately rule on Monday, but said he would try to reach a decision by Nov. 15. That date is important because of a settlement reached in July between the court and the state. the schools specifically listed in the lawsuit will not post the orders in classrooms before that date. The deadline to qualify, January 1, 2025, remains in effect for schools across the state.
While plaintiffs and defendants await a decision on a possible preliminary injunction, pending lawsuit the new law remains.
In June, parents of Louisiana public school children of diverse religious backgrounds filed a lawsuit claiming the legislation violates First Amendment language that prohibits government establishment of religion and guarantees religious freedom.
Opponents say the law’s separation of church and state is unconstitutional and that displaying the Ten Commandments will alienate students, especially non-Christians.
The developers say that schools have not started putting up such posters. The defendants’ lawyers request that the lawsuit be dismissed.
From Florida legislation allowing school districts to have volunteer chaplains to counsel students, conservative steps are being taken across the country to bring religion into classrooms. An Oklahoma state higher education official issued the order to include the Bible in lessons in public schools.
The new law in Louisiana has been championed by conservatives, including former President Donald Trump.
In June, the GOP presidential candidate wrote on social media: “I LOVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND MANY OTHER PLACES FOR THAT MATTER. READ — HOW COULD WE AS A NATION GO WRONG???”
The Louisiana law applies to all public school K-12 and state-funded university classes. It requires that the Ten Commandments be displayed on a poster or framed document at least 11 inches by 14 inches in size, with the text as the main focus and “printed in large, easy-to-read type.” Each poster should also be accompanied by a four-paragraph context statement.
With more than 1,300 public schools in Louisiana, tens of thousands of posters will likely be needed to enforce the new law. Louisiana State University has nearly 1,000 classrooms on the Baton Rouge campus alone.
The mandate does not require school systems to spend public money on the posters, with Republicans saying the displays would be paid for through donations or the posters themselves would be donated by groups or organizations. Questions remain about how the requirement will be met if the teacher refuses to bind the Ten Commandments and what will happen if there are insufficient donations to fund the mandate.