A federal appeals court has blocked Louisiana from displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools.

The Fifth Circuit is one of the most conservative appeals courts in the country, but the panel of three judges that decided the case was dominated by two Democrat appointees.

“This is a resounding victory for the separation of church and state and public education,” said Heather L. Weaver, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. “With today’s ruling, the Fifth Circuit has held Louisiana accountable to a core constitutional promise: Public schools are not Sunday schools, and they must welcome all students, regardless of faith.”

Ten Commandments dispute

The battle isn't over yet, with Louisiana's Republican leaders vowing to take the case to the Supreme Court.

"We will immediately seek relief from the full Fifth Circuit and, if necessary, the U.S. Supreme Court," said Republican attorney general Liz Murrill.

“The Ten Commandments are the foundation of our laws — serving both an educational and historical purpose in our classrooms,” Governor Jeff Landry (R) said.

The appeals court ruled that Louisiana's law is "plainly unconstitutional," upholding a lower court decision that blocked the statute.

"H.B. 71 is plainly unconstitutional. The district court did not err," the appeals court said. "H.B. 71’s minimum requirements provide sufficient details about how the Ten Commandments must be displayed. Plaintiffs have shown that those displays will cause an "irreparable" deprivation of their First Amendment rights."

Church and state

The case is a classic dispute on the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. While often understood to require a complete separation of religion from public life, interpretations of its text vary widely, from the strictly secular to a more flexible reading that respects the important role of religion in upholding a moral society.

The Ten Commandments have moral and educational purposes that are not strictly religious, making the debate over their public display a complex issue. Defenders of Louisiana's law point out that the Ten Commandments are an important part of America's legal and cultural heritage, but some argue that they have no place in public schools, which serve students of different faiths.

Texas has enacted a new law similar to Louisiana's that requires public schools to display the Ten Commandments, setting up more legal challenges on the issue.

In 1980, a divided Supreme Court struck down a similar law in Kentucky, finding it was plainly religious in nature, without any secular purpose.

Of course, the Supreme Court looks much different today, giving conservatives fresh hope of a different outcome.