Penn. School District Must Allow Club Run by The Satanic Temple to Operate, Federal Judge Rules

Founded in 2013 by Lucien Greaves and Malcolm Jarry, The Satanic Temple has been at the center of numerous recent court cases — including the most recent case out of Pennsylvania.

Last Monday, a federal district court ruled that the Saucon Valley School District (SVSD) must allow the "After School Satan Club" to meet after officials attempted to ban the club from their district's facilities in February.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the SVSD in March, alleging that the district violated the First Amendment by revoking the club's permission to meet at Saucon Valley Middle School in Hellertown amid public pressure.

The ACLU applauded the decision on Twitter, calling it "a victory for free speech and religious freedom."

June Everett, campaign director of the After School Satan Club, told The Hill that the club has captured the attention of parents seeking alternatives to religious clubs and activities after school hours since it first rolled out in 2020.

"That's kind of when things started blowing up," Everett told the outlet. "And I anticipate that every year moving forward is going to get busier and busier."

Despite the Temple's name, students participating in the After School Satan Club do not get proselytized or engage in devil worship, according to its website.

Instead, the club "focuses on science, critical thinking, creative arts, and good works for the community" while encouraging participants to "have a good time."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"We're definitely not interested in having children identify as satanists," said Rose Bastet, a volunteer with the After School Satan Club at B.M. Williams Primary in Chesapeake, Va., per The Hill.

The After School Satan Club "does not believe in introducing religion into public schools," but will open one of its clubs at a school "if other religious groups are operating on campus," the website says.

The goal, it adds, is "to provide a safe and inclusive alternative to the religious clubs" while emphasizing a "scientific, rationalist, non-superstitious worldview" through games, projects, and thinking exercises.

"We prefer to give children an appreciation of the natural wonders surrounding them, not a fear of everlasting other-worldly horrors," the site adds.

Responding to the lawsuit, the SVSD claimed the After School Satan Club was canceled after failing to indicate that it was not a district-sponsored event, Insider reported.

Superintendent Jaime Vlasaty said the change was made after advertising on social media made it seem as though the district was sponsoring the club, according to The Morning Call.

Additionally, the district said a North Carolina man allegedly phoned in a threat to the school on Feb. 22, shortly after the district agreed to let the club meet, per the report.

The SVSD received numerous calls and emails about its decision to allow the club to operate within the district, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

One email even said, "please shut down all religious after-school clubs if that's what needs to be done to keep Satan out of that building," per the report.

However, U.S. District Court Judge John Gallagher said, "The sanctity of the First Amendment's protections must prevail."

"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," Gallagher wrote.

"Nothing less is consistent with the expressed purpose of [the] American government to secure the core, innate rights of its people," he added.

Vlasaty did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

The After School Satan Club will meet at the middle school on the dates previously agreed upon by the school district, according to Inquirer. Six students have reportedly signed up for the club so far.

The club will have to reapply for permission to operate in the district again during the next school year, per the reports.