Federal judge temporarily blocks Louisiana's Ten Commandments in public schools law

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a Louisiana law requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in all public school classrooms.

U.S. District Judge John deGravelles granted a preliminary injunction to a coalition of parents that sued the state, meaning Louisiana will not be allowed to require the Ten Commandments in classrooms while the case plays out in court.

The group of parents, who come from different religious backgrounds and are supported by multiple civil rights groups, argued in court that the law infringes on their First Amendment rights to dictate their child’s religious upbringing.

In his ruling, deGravelles said he believed the plaintiffs would be "irreparably harmed" by the law going into place due to it violating the First Amendment.

Louisiana became the first state in the nation earlier this year to require the religious text to go up in all K-12 public schools in “large, easily readable font.” The posters would also include three paragraphs explaining why the Ten Commandments is relevant to American history.

“This ruling should serve as a reality check for Louisiana lawmakers who want to use public schools to convert children to their preferred brand of Christianity,” said Heather L. Weaver, senior staff attorney for the Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief at the American Civil Liberties Union, one of the groups supporting the parents in their challenge. “Public schools are not Sunday schools, and today’s decision ensures that our clients’ classrooms will remain spaces where all students, regardless of their faith, feel welcomed.”

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) had said he expected the new law to cause a legal battle after he signed it in June.

“Look, when the Supreme Court meets, the doors of the Supreme Court on the backside have the Ten Commandments. Moses faces the U.S. Speaker of the House in the House chamber. He is the original giver of law,” Landry said. “Most of our laws in this country are founded on the Ten Commandments, what’s the big problem? And that’s the part I don’t understand.”

The state had sought to have posters of the Ten Commandments up by Jan. 1.

The law has been supported by Republicans, including President-elect Trump, who has previously said he wants prayer back in school.

“I LOVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND MANY OTHER PLACES, FOR THAT MATTER. READ IT — HOW CAN WE, AS A NATION, GO WRONG???” Trump said in a social media post after the law was passed.

“THIS MAY BE, IN FACT, THE FIRST MAJOR STEP IN THE REVIVAL OF RELIGION, WHICH IS DESPERATELY NEEDED, IN OUR COUNTRY,” he added.

Experts have speculated this case could go as far as the Supreme Court as a pattern emerges of lawsuits fighting GOP attempts to inject more Christianity into public classrooms.

Oklahoma officials are currently fighting to mandate a Bible in every classroom and lessons about how the Bible connects to different parts of American culture.

Others in the Sooner State are also looking for the Supreme Court to intervene after Oklahoma's highest court struck down the nation's first openly religious charter school as unconstitutional.

—Updated at 11:07 a.m.