Appeals court will hear Louisiana’s case to display Ten Commandments in public schools

The state of Louisiana asked the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to uphold its right to display the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms after the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit in Roake v. Brumley.

A federal district court blocked the state’s measure, and a three-judge Fifth Circuit panel left that ruling in place. The full Fifth Circuit has now agreed to reconsider the case.

The state argues that displaying the Ten Commandments reflects a longstanding U.S. tradition of recognizing religion’s role in public life.

“Religious symbols have been a fixture of American public life since before the founding,” the brief states . It cites examples from the Founders’ proposals for the Great Seal and from the Ten Commandments carved into the U.S. Supreme