Final answer:
Yes, the Kentucky statute requiring classrooms to post the Ten Commandments would likely be considered a violation of the Establishment Clause.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the principles established in the First Amendment and the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Establishment Clause, the Kentucky statute requiring classrooms to post the Ten Commandments would likely be considered a violation of the Establishment Clause. The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from establishing a religion or promoting one religion over others. Requiring the posting of religious texts, such as the Ten Commandments, in public school classrooms could be seen as an endorsement or promotion of a particular religious belief, which violates the principle of government neutrality.
In the case of Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), the Supreme Court ruled that school-sponsored reading of the Bible and recitation of the Lord's Prayer in public schools is unconstitutional under the Establishment Clause. In Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000), the Court also held that prayer in public schools initiated and led by students violates the Establishment Clause.
Furthermore, the Lemon test, derived from the Lemon v. Kurtzman case (1971), is often used to determine whether a law or government action violates the Establishment Clause. The test states that a law must have a legitimate secular purpose, should not have the primary effect of advancing or inhibiting religion, and should not result in excessive entanglement between government and religion. Therefore, requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms does not fulfill these requirements and would likely be considered unconstitutional.