Parents who do not agree that the Ten Commandments should be displayed in classrooms of public schools throughout the state have been provided with advice by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.
Landry told a reporter on Monday: “Tell your child not to look at them.”
Defending the Legislation
The conservative governor defended the controversial legislation during a news conference.
Here he declared how Louisiana means to battle a lawsuit that contends that it is unlawful to show the Ten Commandments in state-funded school and college classrooms.
First State in the Country
In June, Landry signed the GOP-backed legislation into law
This made Louisiana the first state in the country to require school posters of the religious text that was shown to Moses in the Bible and is still revered by Christians.
Suing the State
However, the move prompted a group of Jewish, Christian, Unitarian Universalist, and nonreligious parents to sue the state in federal court a few days later.
They say that the law “substantially interferes with and burdens” their right under the First Amendment to teach their children whatever religious doctrine they want.
Bipartisan Support
According to Landry, the opposition to the law is unjustified.
He added that House Bill 71 was passed with a large majority and received bipartisan support from a few Democrats.
Conservative Agenda
The governor upheld the Ten Commandments law as an illustration of how “the majority gets to rule” given that Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers of the state Legislature.
This has made it possible for Landry to advance a conservative and tough-on-crime agenda.
“Big Fuss”
He stated on Monday, “I don’t see what the whole big fuss is about.”
By January, all public K-12 schools and colleges are required by law to display the Ten Commandments.
Returning to the Classroom
In the coming days, students at Louisiana public schools will return to their classrooms for the start of the new school year.
However, as of Monday, Attorney General Liz Murrill informed reporters that she was unaware of any schools that had begun displaying posters depicting the Ten Commandments.
“Not Very Big”
Murill said it was “not very big” when he held up an example of a poster that could be displayed.
She added that no public funds will be expected to be spent on printing the banners and they can be provided through private donations.
Motion to Dismiss
As the families’ claim plays out, Louisiana additionally concurred last month not to advance or make rules encompassing the law until at least Nov. 15, as the case and different motions are decided in federal court.
Officials deemed the families’ complaint “premature,” and Murrill stated that the state planned to file its motion to dismiss the suit on Monday.
“Powerful Teaching Moments”
Murrill added that the state will contend how there are “numerous ways” the law can be applied constitutionally, and said having a display of the Ten Commandments in homerooms makes space for “powerful teaching moments.”
Later on Monday, a motion to dismiss from that state was made in federal court.
Lacking Standing
It contends that individuals suing have kids who go to charter schools in Orleans Parish, that those are independent from the Orleans Parish School Board, and that the offended parties hence lack standing to sue the parish school board.
Murrill provided examples of posters that could be made for classroom displays displaying the Ten Commandments and providing context for the words during the news conference earlier on Monday.
One poster riffed off the melody “Ten Duel Commandments” from the musical “Hamilton,” while another poster compared Moses and Martin Luther King Jr.
