Overview
- The en banc Fifth Circuit vacated a district court’s injunction, allowing Louisiana to implement H.B. 71 without deciding whether the law violates the Establishment Clause.
- Judges said they need concrete details such as the displays’ prominence, any accompanying historical documents, and whether teachers reference them during instruction.
- Louisiana officials welcomed the ruling and issued compliance guidance with sample posters for schools to follow.
- Dissenting judges argued the statute and legislative record reveal a religious purpose that makes the mandate facially unconstitutional, while one concurrence would uphold the law outright.
- Plaintiffs represented by the ACLU, Americans United, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation plan to pursue as‑applied suits and are weighing a Supreme Court appeal, as related cases in Texas and Arkansas continue.