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An After School Satan Club is sparking another free speech firestorm

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The approval and subsequent rejection of another After School Satan Club, this time in Pennsylvania’s Saucon Valley School District, has kicked off threats of both violence and a freedom of speech lawsuit.

, which organizers say are more about lighting up students’ curiosity than worshiping the devil or practicing the dark arts, have been receiving approval to use district spaces across the country to hold their meetings, as many other community organizations do. These clubsaccording to their sponsor, the Satanic Templeare meant to provide alternatives to and other evangelical religious organizations that regularly meet on K12 campuses.

The clubs have faced pushback from parents and others in some districts while in others they have launched with little controversy.

The latest firestorm began last month shortly after Saucon Valley administrators gave the club permission to meet on campus. That approval doesn’t seem to have drawn much notice until an angry caller left a voicemail with the district, threatening to “” over the club’s approval, WFMZ reported.


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That closed the district for a day, and authorities eventually arrested a 20-year-old North Carolina for allegedly making the threat, according to WFMZ. The scare also seems to have led Saucon Valley leaders to change their minds about the After School Satan Club, rescinding the invitation to the organization even after dozens of students had signed up to participate.

That decision drew the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union and its Pennsylvania chapter, which have threatened to sue the district if it does not permit the club to use its facilities. “The threats against you, your family and the District, as well as any other threats of violence that have been made in response to our clients facility-use application, are unacceptable and reprehensible,” the to the district. “But penalizing our clients, who are also the victims of these threats, by denying them access to District facilities is unconscionable and unconstitutional.”

This week, the district informed the ACLU that it is sticking with its decision to meet,The Morning Callreported.

This After School Satan Club stirred no controversy

There appears to have been no local uproar in the Rocky Mountains as an After School Satan Club was set to hold its first meeting at Paonia K-8, part of western Colorado’s Delta County School District.

The club was initiated by a parent who wanted their child to have an alternative to the Good News Club that meets at the school, a Satanic Temple representative told . The club is scheduled to hold three meetings this semester starting this week.

In this particular case, it’s considered a religious group, and we allow other religious groups to use our facilities as well,” Delta County Assistant Superintendent Kurt Clay . “In fact, in Delta County, we have from time to time let other churches rent some of our facilities and so once we allow one we have to allow all.”

In New York, on the other hand, a this week against an After School Satan Club scheduled to meet next week at Homer Brink Elementary School near Binghamton. Jason Van Fossen, superintendent of the Maine-Endwell School District, told WBNG that that some families were upset about the club’s arrival but that many factors were considered in its approval.

The district was put in a very difficult situation, Van Fossen told the station.

Matt Zalaznick
Matt Zalaznick
Matt Zalaznick is the managing editor of District 91心頭istration and a life-long journalist. Prior to writing for District 91心頭istration he worked in daily news all over the country, from the NYC suburbs to the Rocky Mountains, Silicon Valley and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He's also in a band.

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