Louisiana Families Sue Over Ten Commandments Law

Facts

Days after Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry made it mandatory for public school classrooms to display the Biblical Ten Commandments, nine families challenged it in federal court on Monday.¹
In their court filing, Christian, Jewish, Unitarian Universalist, and non-religious families argue that the First Amendment of the US Constitution 'forbids public schools from posting the Ten Commandments in this manner.'²
Their lawsuit also claims that the legislation 'unconstitutionally pressures' students into religious observance. The parents, pastors, and rabbis further deemed it coercion.³
They also allege that a James Madison quote cited in the law, in which the fourth US President espouses 'the moral principles of the 10 Commandments,' is fabricated.⁴
The parents reportedly have the support of various civil liberties groups and are also being represented pro bono by the law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.¹
Similar mandates were ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1980, though Louisiana, alongside states like Texas, has drafted legislation to have that ruling overturned.⁵

Left narrative, as provided by MSN. Louisiana's Ten Commandments law is a dangerous Christian nationalist move, undermining the constitutional separation of church and state and giving government endorsement to a specific religious tradition. Its proponents hope to use the current Supreme Court's right-leaning majority to further erode religious pluralism. This threatens the rights and inclusion of all non-Christian Americans, jeopardizing the nation's commitment to a diverse and respectful society.
Right narrative, as provided by NCR. Nowhere in the Constitution does it mention the words 'church' and 'state,' and it only prohibits Congress, not states, from establishing a state religion. The Constitution does, however, mention rights granted by our 'creator,' which clearly means the country was founded on a belief in God. Furthermore, the Ten Commandments are simply a list of basic rules — like don't murder — that in no way could lead to harming students.