News Release
For Immediate Release: 12.17.25
Contact: John Manning, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4453
Law Firm Applauds Return of Ten Commandments Monument to Kentucky’s State Capitol Grounds
Monument donated to the state by Fraternal Order of Eagles restored to state capitol.
Frankfort, KY—Today, a permanent monument of the Ten Commandments was restored to the state Capitol grounds in Frankfort, Kentucky. The historic Ten Commandments monument was donated to the Commonwealth of Kentucky by the Fraternal Order of Eagles in 1971. First Liberty represents the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
“We congratulate the people of Kentucky for restoring a part of their history,” said Roger Byron, Senior Counsel for First Liberty Institute. “There is a long tradition of public monuments like this one that recognize the unique and important role the Ten Commandments have played in state and national history. The people of Kentucky can now enjoy their monument whenever they visit their Capitol.”
Vic Jeffries, trustee of Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 3423, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, said, “We are thrilled to return the Ten Commandments monument to the Commonwealth and have it back where it belongs. The Eagles have donated over 100 Ten Commandments monuments to state and local governments over the years, and we’re glad to have ours back on the state Capitol grounds, its historic location.”
Kentucky House Joint Resolution 15 (HJR-15), which passed the state legislature by an overwhelming majority in both houses and became law earlier this year, ordered the return of the monument to the state Capitol grounds. First Liberty represents Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 3423, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, which has kept the monument for over twenty years and has returned it to the state for placement on the Capitol grounds.
The monument stood on the state Capitol grounds until the 1980s when it was moved due to a construction project. Its return was blocked by a court order based on the now defunct Lemon test. That test was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court in First Liberty’s 2019 Supreme Court victory in The American Legion, which mandated a presumptive lawfulness for established symbols, displays and practices. Then in 2022 in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, another First Liberty victory, the Court abrogated Lemon entirely and mandated that the Establishment Clause be understood and applied by original meaning, history and tradition. As the Supreme Court has explained, the Ten Commandments “have an undeniable historical meaning,” including “historical significance as one of the foundations of our legal system,” and “[s]uch acknowledgments of the role played by the Ten Commandments in our Nation’s heritage are common throughout America.”
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About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact John Manning at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.
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