Judge: School Must Allow Satan Club To Meet
Dateline, Pennsylvania. A federal judge has ruled that a school in Saucon Valley School District must allow the After School Satan Club to meet on school property. The district is…
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 28: People attend a ‘Satanic Ball’ at SatanCon on April 28, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. SatanCon, which is hosted by the Satanic Temple, claims to be the largest satanic gathering in history. Numerous activist groups protested outside of the sold out event which will run through the weekend. SatanCon will feature satanic rituals, entertainment and discussion panels. The Satanic Temple advocates for the separation of church and state and opposes bans on abortion. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)Dateline, Pennsylvania.
A federal judge has ruled that a school in Saucon Valley School District must allow the After School Satan Club to meet on school property. The district is in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania.
The case stemmed from the fact that the school bumped the Satans after they received a threat from a guy in North Carolina who didn't like that the club was meeting in the school. After the threat, the district tried to ban the club. But the judge wasn't having any of that.
The judge said: “When confronted with a challenge to free speech, the government’s first instinct must be to forward expression rather than quash it. Particularly when the content is controversial or inconvenient.”
He continued: “although The Satanic Temple, Inc.’s objectors may challenge the sanctity of this controversially named organization, the sanctity of the First Amendment’s protections must prevail.”
The After School Satan Club is affiliated with The Satanic Temple and claims to be a "safe alternative to religious clubs" and they say they only try to have a club meeting at a school after another religious organization is approved to hold their meetings on school grounds. The Temple recently held a "SatanCon" in Boston.
