Baton Rouge, Louisiana (BRPROUD) — The state of Louisiana has agreed to postpone hanging new Ten Commandments posters in classrooms until a court hearing can be held, after a group of parents filed a federal lawsuit to block the move.
After a status meeting Wednesday, it was agreed that posters would not be hung in classrooms and that Louisiana Superintendent Cade Brumley and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education would not issue any advice, rules or regulations regarding the state law until Nov. 15.
U.S. Judge John W. de Graveres issued an order this week requiring all parties in the lawsuit to agree on a date for the law to go into effect. He suggested Nov. 15, which would allow a trial on Sept. 30. Notice of the agreement was sent out on Friday.
“The law was not ‘suspended,’ ‘blocked,’ or ‘stopped.’ At the request of the district court,Rourke v. BramleyTo allow time for adequate briefing, oral argument, and adjudication, the five defendant school boards and individual defendants agreed not to take any public compliance steps until November 15th. Specifically, the five defendant school boards and individual defendants agreed not to post the Ten Commandments in their public schools or promulgate any related advice, rules, or regulations before November 15th. However, they and all other schools in Louisiana will remain subject to the law and the January 2025 compliance deadline. Thus, again, the law has not been ‘paused,’ ‘blocked,’ or ‘stopped.'”
Lester Duhet, spokesman for Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill.
Earlier this year, the Louisiana Legislature approved a new law requiring all classrooms to display posters with the Ten Commandments in large, easy-to-read letters.
Religious leaders in the state have opposed the measure, and parents of public school students have filed a lawsuit claiming it is unconstitutional in an effort to block the posters from appearing in schools.
At the Republican National Convention on Thursday, Gov. Jeff Landry (R-Ill.) defended the law, arguing that using taxpayer money to defend it in court would benefit students and society. He said the Ten Commandments posted in Thomas Matthew Crooks’ classroom may have prevented Crooks from firing a gun at former President Trump.
