Global InformationAfter School Satan information
 | |
| Formation | July 2016[1] |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Salem, Massachusetts[2] |
Spokesperson | Lucien Greaves |
| Website | Official website |
After School Satan is an after school program project of The Satanic Temple (T.S.T.), a non-theistic United States organization based in Salem, Massachusetts,[2] and is sponsored by Reason Alliance LTD, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.[3] It was created as an alternative to Christian-based after-school groups, specifically at schools that host the Evangelical Good News Club.[4][5][6] The program neither teaches about Satanism nor attempts to convert club-goers; they instead teach about rationalism and understanding the world around us. It is against the beliefs of the Satanic Temple to teach religious practice in schools, which is opposite to how the Good News Club functions. The Satanic Temple rejects supernatural beliefs and views Satan as a literary symbol of rebellion against authority, not as a supernatural entity.[7]
The Satanic Temple announced it was pursuing After School Satan clubs in cities across the United States, including Atlanta, Lebanon, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Pensacola, Washington, D.C., Tucson, Springfield, Missouri, Seattle, Portland, and Memphis.[6][8][9][10][11][12]
Despite widespread media attention to the announcements initially, only one school in Tacoma, Washington, ever served any students, teaching a single child from a nearby school once per month from December 2016 to June 2017.[13][14] The program did not return the following year, and by the fall of 2017, TST representative Chalice Blythe confirmed in an interview there were no active programs.[15][16]
In January 2022, a second After School Satan Club launched in Moline, Illinois. After meeting for two school years, the club received pushback from the Moline-Coal Valley Board of Education, which attempted to move the group off campus for the 2023-24 school year. After four months of negotiations, it was agreed that the club would stay on the elementary school campus where it had held its previous meetings.[17] Biweekly meetings are scheduled through May 2024, with a focus on board and card games, arts, crafts, and science projects.[18]
In November 2023, The Satanic Temple reached a settlement with the Saucon Valley School District in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, after district officials forbid the ASSC from meeting on school grounds. The settlement came half a year after a federal court ordered the school district to allow the ASSC to hold meetings at the Saucon Valley Middle School.[19]
- ^ Stewart, Katherine. "An After School Satan Club could be coming to your kid's elementary school". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2017-01-30. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ a b "The Satanic Temple to open international headquarters in Salem". Fox 25 News Boston. 2016-09-16. Archived from the original on 2016-10-21. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
- ^ "Did the IRS 'Fast Track' Tax Exempt Status for After School Satan Clubs?". Snopes. Retrieved 2018-01-21.
- ^ "FAQ". After School Satan. Archived from the original on 2017-01-16. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- ^ Anderson, Rick. "Yes, an after-school Satan Club could be coming to your kid's grade school". LA Times. Archived from the original on 2017-01-09. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Portland OKs "After School Satan" for elementary kids". CBS News. 28 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-01-16. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". The Satanic Temple.
- ^ "Satanic Temple brings 'After School Satan Club' to Portland school". Fox News. 27 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-12-23. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- ^ Cafazzo, Debbie. "State's first After-School Satan Club set to open". The News Tribune. Archived from the original on 2017-01-16. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- ^ "Find a Club". After School Satan. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
- ^ "Planned After School Satan Club sparks controversy in Tennessee". CBS News. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ "After School Satan Club holds first meeting at Lebanon Elementary School". 2 December 2023.
- ^ "After-school Satan club tests the limits of church and state". KALW Public Media. Archived from the original on 2021-12-08. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ JudicialWatch.org, Invoice for December 2016 to June 2017 indicates seven monthly two-hour room rent and utilities amounted to a cost of $154.00, with the official requestor group "Reason Alliance Ltd" and funds provided by Reason Alliance Ltd. (PDF, pages 3-14)
- ^ Rudd, Candice. "Tacoma's After-School Satan Club is on pause for now, says Satanic Temple of Seattle". The News Tribune. Archived from the original on 2017-09-13. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- ^ "Recruiting Tomorrow's Satanists - The Jim Jefferies Show". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2017-11-16. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ Kopatich, Kate (26 January 2024). "After School Satan Club returns to Jane Addams Elementary School". KWQC-TV. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
- ^ "Small protest outside Moline elementary school greets 1st After School Satan Club". WHBF-TV. 13 January 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-01-15. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ "Pennsylvania School District Agrees to Pay $200,000 After Discriminatory Decision to Block After School Satan Club From School Facilities". American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved 2024-05-02.