Washington Parish school leaders hoping to obtain some clarity about a state law that orders the posting of the Ten Commandments will have to wait.
The law was enacted by the state Legislature last year and signed by the governor, requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in all public schools.
But the Commandments were not posted in Washington Parish schools, nor in other Louisiana schools, because court challenges were immediately filed.
Some parents joined forces with several national groups to fight the Ten Commandments law in court. A federal judge agreed that the law was unconstitutional and it was appealed. On Friday, a three-judge panel of federal appellate judges ruled that the law was unconstitutional, violating constitutional protections of separation of church and state.
However, the parties filing suit filed it against only certain school districts in the state, and now there is a legal dispute as to whether or not the appellate court ruling affects the entire state or just the districts it was filed against.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she believed the ruling only applied to school districts in the five parishes that were parties to the lawsuit. Murrill added that she would appeal the most recent ruling, including taking it to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.
So for Washington Parish and most other Louisiana parishes, it’s back to the waiting game to find out what, if anything, school districts are legally required to do.
Jennifer Thomas, the Superintendent of Schools for Washington Parish, has said that she will wait for official instructions from the state Department of Education concerning the Ten Commandments law.
