(Baton Rouge) Louisiana will delay the implementation of its policy requiring that a copy of the Ten Commandments be placed in every public school classroom in the state until at least November, under a deal approved Friday by a federal judge.
A lawsuit was filed in June by parents of Louisiana public school students from diverse faith backgrounds. They argued that the law violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits government establishment of religion and guarantees religious freedom.
Supporters of the law argue that the Ten Commandments belong in classrooms because they are historical and part of the foundation of American law.
In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a similar law in Kentucky violated the U.S. Constitution, which states that Congress may “make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” The court found that the law had no secular purpose, but rather served a religious purpose.
In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that such displays in two Kentucky courthouses violated the Constitution. The top U.S. court, however, allowed a copy of the commandments to remain on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol in Austin.