Appeals court blocks Louisiana Ten Commandments law

A federal appellate court has ruled a Louisiana law requiring the state’s classrooms to display the Ten Commandments is unconstitutional, the Associated Press reports.

It was not immediately clear if Friday’s ruling applies only to the districts that sued the state to block it or to the entire state. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill believes the ruling only applies to five parishes, according to the AP. She said she will appeal the ruling.

States including Arkansas and Texas have passed laws requiring the Ten Commandments in schools, arguing they are historical documents that helped shape this country’s laws.

But opponents have said they violate the separation of church and state, a matter which is hotly contested.