The Madison Parish School Board discussed a new state law regarding the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms during its March 16 meeting.
Superintendent Charlie Butler said the district received guidance on Feb. 25 related to House Bill 71, which requires schools to display the Ten Commandments under specific guidelines.
Butler said the measure was passed into law and does not require board approval. He said the guidance includes requirements on the size and presentation of the display and states it should be placed alongside other historical documents such as the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence and the Northwest Ordinance.
House Bill 71, signed into law in June 2024, requires public school classrooms and state-funded colleges in Louisiana to display the Ten Commandments on a poster or framed document that is at least 11 by 14 inches with text in a readable format. The law also requires a context statement describing the role of the Ten Commandments in American public education and government.
The law has drawn national attention and legal challenges from parents and civil liberties groups who argue it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which bars government establishment of religion.
A federal district judge in Louisiana ruled in November 2024 that the law was unconstitutional and blocked enforcement, citing a 1980 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Stone v. Graham, which struck down a Kentucky law requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
The case, known as Roake v. Brumley, moved to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, where a three-judge panel upheld the lower court ruling in 2025.
In February 2026, the full Fifth Circuit reversed that decision and lifted the injunction, allowing the law to move forward. The court did not rule on whether the law is constitutional and said the issue may be decided after the law is implemented.
The ruling has placed the case on a path that could lead to review by the U.S. Supreme Court, as similar laws in other states and ongoing legal challenges continue to test the limits of religious displays in public schools.
The item was presented for discussion only and no action was taken.
