La. Ten Commandments Law Ruled Unconstitutional

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

U.S. District Judge John deGravelles said the law conflicted with U.S. Supreme Court precedent, and violated the religious rights of people who opposed the displays.

He also said the law was coercive, because children are expected to attend school at least 177 days per year and the displays could pressure them into adopting the state's preferred religious scripture.

Louisiana became the only U.S. state requiring displays of the Ten Commandments when Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, signed the law on June 19.

Nine families, including several clergy, with children in public schools filed the lawsuit five days later in the federal court in the Louisiana capital, Baton Rouge, seeking an injunction against the law.

The judge was appointed to the bench by Democrat President Barack Obama. Louisiana could appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, widely considered among the most conservative federal appeals courts.