Louisiana Loses Appeal on Ten Commandments in Schools

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that Louisiana's law mandating that the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school classroom is unconstitutional. The unanimous ruling by the three-judge panel came in a lawsuit filed by Louisiana parents trying to block the requirement, NBC News reports. It upholds a lower-court ruling that the state law is "facially unconstitutional." The Friday decision said, "We affirm." Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said her state will immediately seek a reversal "from the full Fifth Circuit and, if necessary, the United States Supreme Court."

The court's decision that the law violates the First Amendment represents a major victory for civil liberties groups that maintain the mandate, signed into law a year ago, violates the separation of church and state. They also say the poster-size displays of the commandments would isolate students—especially those who are not Christian, per the AP. President Trump and other Republicans have supported the effort to incorporate religion in schools. The law took effect this year at public K-12 schools and state-funded universities in Louisiana. (More Louisiana stories.)