A Louisiana rule mandating prominent Ten Commandments posters in public classrooms has sparked a broader national debate over religion in public schools, echoing related laws in Arkansas and Texas and revisiting past Supreme Court rulings on Establishment Clause constraints.

After a January en banc hearing and a June ruling that the law was unconstitutional, the Fifth Circuit reversed, signaling a more favorable stance toward enforcing the law in this conservative court.

The decision comes as Louisiana and other states navigate ongoing challenges, with Texas already implementing a similar law and Arkansas facing its own litigation.

The Associated Press report from New Orleans dated February 20, 2026, covers the ruling and its local context.

Gov. Jeff Landry celebrated the ruling as a win for common-sense policy, while opponents including the ACLU of Louisiana vowed to pursue further legal avenues to challenge the law.

The ACLU of Louisiana criticized the ruling and pledged continued legal action to protect students’ rights amid the enforcement push.

The coverage emphasizes the ruling and its immediate implications for Louisiana schools without detailing deeper legal reasoning.

Plaintiffs’ representatives, including the ACLU and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, condemned the ruling as premature and pledged to keep fighting for religious freedom in schools.

This is a developing story with ongoing legal action and responses expected from multiple parties.

The Fifth Circuit lifted a temporary block, allowing the poster displays to take effect while leaving the overall constitutionality unresolved due to pending specifics about implementation.

A correction noted the ruling was issued on a Friday, not a Tuesday, amid ongoing coverage of related cases in multiple states.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued guidance and sample posters to help schools implement the law in a constitutional manner, stressing that districts should comply.