BATON ROUGE, La. (BP) – Parents and lawmakers are battling one another over religious mandates impacting public schools across Louisiana and Oklahoma.
In Louisiana, the battle hinges on lawmakers’ mandate that a specified version of the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school in the state by Jan. 1, 2025. There, state Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a court motion Aug. 5 seeking dismissal of a lawsuit filed to block the mandate.
In Oklahoma, the Oklahoma School Board Association and state Attorney General Gentner Drummond have advised schools not to comply with the state’s new mandate that the Bible be taught in all 5th-12th-grade public classrooms.
In both states, proponents of the measure argue that the Scripture has historical significance in the development of the nation, while opponents say the mandates violate constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom and separation of church and state, as well as state statutes.
Louisiana
Louisiana became the first state in the nation to require public schools to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms when Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed the law June 19.
“Tell your child not to look at them,” he told reporters Aug. 5 in response to parents who oppose the measure.
Murrill is seeking to block a lawsuit filed June 24 by nine families including Christian pastors, Jewish leaders and others, as well as groups including the state and national American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
There are “numerous ways” the law can be applied constitutionally, Murrill said in announcing her plans to fight the lawsuit, NBC News reported, and said the displays allow for “powerful teaching moments.”
She suggested posters displaying both the legislature-approved Ten Commandments and the so-called “Ten Commandments for Non-Violence,” with the heading, all in caps, “MLK & Moses: Like Moses handed down the law, Martin Luther King Jr. required Birmingham campaign volunteers to sign a commitment card consisting of ten commandments.”
Another suggestion from Murrill, NBC reported, is a movie and theater-themed poster with the heading, “Ten (Duel) Commandments,” and featuring the Ten Commandments under Charlton Heston portraying Moses and the Ten Duel Commandments under Lin-Manuel Miranda portraying Alexander Hamilton and ending with a version of “count 10 paces and fire.”
No official posters have been printed, Murrill said, but she presented the options as part of her actual court filing and posted both options on X.
In a court agreement reached in July, five schools listed in the lawsuit can delay until Nov. 15 complying with the new law while the lawsuit works its way through the court, but the Jan. 1 deadline for implementation remains. Included in the lawsuit is Orleans Parish, the largest school district in the state.
Schools convene as early as Aug. 6.
Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, several school districts anticipate a legal battle if State Superintendent Ryan Walters tries to enforce his June 27 edict that public schools incorporate the Bible into curricula in grades five through 12.
The legality of the rule remains in question a week before the school year begins, but Walters released guidelines July 24 telling schools to focus on the Bible’s historical, literary, artistic and musical influences.
“The Bible has been a key cornerstone in the development of Western thought, influencing legal systems, ethical frameworks, and cultural norms,” Walters wrote in his guidance. “Teachers must focus on how biblical principles have shaped the foundational aspects of Western societies, such as the concepts of justice, human rights, and the rule of law.”
He noted various Oklahoma Social Studies Standards in support of the guidance, and cautioned teachers to remain neutral and objective. “Teachers must not promote or favor any religious beliefs, focusing solely on the historical and literary aspects of the Bible,” he wrote.
Among those on the record opposing compliance are Rob Miller, superintendent of Bixby Public Schools.
“I suspect that the first thing that will happen is (Walters) will target a specific school district or multiple school districts who he believes are not complying with his directive, those school districts will then have to make a choice as to whether to bend [to] his whim or to sue,” The Hill quoted Miller Aug. 4.
“And I can tell you that if Bixby was one of those schools that he selected to come after, we would file a lawsuit.”
Oklahoma public schools convene as early as Aug. 13.