Louisiana’s 2020 Teacher of the Year is trying to block the state’s Ten Commandments law
BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana’s 2020 Teacher of the Year has filed a lawsuit against the state, challenging a new law that requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom by Jan. 1.
It is the second lawsuit filed against the law, which came into effect in June. The first Shortly after the law was passed, a lawsuit was filed in Baton Rouge. The judge in that case has said he will try to rule on a motion to block the law by November 15.
The second suit has attracted less attention. It was filed on September 23 in New Orleans by Christopher Dier, a history teacher at Ben Franklin High School in New Orleans. Dier told The Associated Press in an interview last summer that he had no intention of displaying the Ten Commandments in his classroom.
U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry was scheduled to contact attorneys in the case by phone Wednesday to work out a schedule, including a possible trial date for Dier’s lawsuit. Defendants in the lawsuit include Republican Governor Jeff Landry, who signed the bill, Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill, Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley and members of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Dier’s complaint says the law, referred to as bill number HB71, targets children with a religious message and “conscripts” teachers to display it in violation of the language of the First Amendment, which prohibits the establishment of religion by the government prohibits and guarantees religious freedom. Echoing other critics of the law, it says that the version of the Ten Commandments required in the law is favored by Protestant denominations and that forcing its display could isolate students who are not Christians.
“I don’t believe in anything that is unconstitutional and harmful to students,” Dier told the AP in June.
State officials argue that HB71 is not exclusively religious and that the Ten Commandments have historical significance in the foundation of American law. They have filed a motion to dismiss Dier’s lawsuit.
A large part of their argument is that Dier has not yet suffered any damage for which he can file a lawsuit.
“He only challenges an unspecified future HB 71 showing that he believes could violate his rights at an unspecified future time. But he does not know – and defendants do not know either – how his (or which) school will select the HB 71 display(s), how large they will be, where they will be placed, what context will be included, and so on. ” the motion to dismiss said.
Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge John deGravelles in Baton Rouge is considering motions Monday in the earlier lawsuit filed by several parents of Louisiana schoolchildren. The motions include a motion to block enforcement of the law.
The law will apply to all public primary and secondary schools and state-funded university classrooms. It requires that the Ten Commandments be displayed on a poster or framed document measuring at least 28 by 36 centimeters (11 inches by 14 inches), with the text central, and “printed in a large, easily readable font.” Each poster should be accompanied by a four-paragraph context statement.