THE “TEN COMMANDMENTS” IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

BACKGROUND AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SECULARITY IN THE UNITED STATES

Abstract

The 2024 law requiring the display of a particular version of the Ten Commandments in all public classrooms in Louisiana marks a critical point in the debate over the secularism of state education in the United States. With the election of Republican Governor Jeffrey Landry, supported by Donald Trump, the alliance between evangelical and Catholic politicians in the state legislature enabled the passage of Louisiana House Bill 71, Act No. 676, which is being legally challenged by a local group of religious and non-religious parents. Considering the broader context of the expansion of Christian nationalism in the U.S., this article chronologically examines the events that allowed for the advancement of the law in question and the opposition to it. The paper also highlights the possible legal ramifications of the law with the new composition of the Supreme Court of the country, underscoring the long-term risks to democracy and freedom of conscience.