Pennsylvania school district settles with Satanic Temple for club access

The Satanic Temple has reached an agreement with a school district in Pennsylvania regarding the operation of an after-school Satanic Club. As a part of the agreement, the district is required to pay a significant amount, and students are now freely able to attend these programs.

The Saucon Valley school district in eastern Pennsylvania formed a settlement with the Satanic Temple. The school district was accused in a court case in March 2023 of discrimination against students by denying the After-School Satanic Club the use of the school facilities earlier in the year while allowing other after-school clubs to operate on school premises.

As reported by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Saucon Valley school district agreed to bear the legal costs which total $200,000. Further, it must provide the Satanic Temple and the After-School Satanic Club access to school facilities on par with other organizations.

The Satanic Temple asserts that it does not advocate for religion in public schools. It aims to establish clubs only where other religious groups are functioning. "The After-School Satanic Clubs aim to offer a fun, intellectually stimulating and non-proselytizing alternative to the existing religious after-school clubs," states the organization.

After-School Satanic Clubs are not focused on "converting children to Satanism". Instead, The Satanic Temple views Satan not as a mystical entity but as a "literary construct symbolizing the rejection of tyranny over the human mind and spirit." The club's programs primarily centre around "education, critical thinking, creative arts, and community service."