Federal court blocks louisiana's ten commandments classroom mandate as unconstitutional

On Jun. 21, 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously struck down Louisiana’s law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom, citing the 1980 Supreme Court precedent in Stone v. Graham.

In Stone v. Graham (1980), the Supreme Court held that posting the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms violates the Establishment Clause because it serves a “plainly religious purpose” with no secular educational function.

Louisiana’s mandate applied to all public school classrooms, creating a “captive audience” of students legally required to attend class and with no opt-out for those from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or non-religious backgrounds.

Governor Jeff Landry signed the law despite knowing the 1980 precedent prohibited such displays, illustrating a conflict between state political choices and established federal constitutional limits.

The Fifth Circuit’s decision reaffirms that even conservative appellate courts must follow clear Supreme Court rulings on religious establishment in public schools.