After School Satan

After School Satan
FormationJuly 2016; 8 years ago (July 2016)[1]
HeadquartersSalem, Massachusetts[2]
Spokesperson
Lucien Greaves
WebsiteOfficial website

After School Satan is an after school program project of The Satanic Temple (TST), 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] TST only starts a club when it is requested by a parent at a school where the Good News Club or similar organization is already operating.

"We're like vampires," said June Everett, After School Satan Club National Director. "We only go where we're invited."[7] 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.[8]

In 2016, TST announced it was pursuing After School Satan Clubs in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Pensacola, Tucson, Tacoma, Portland, Washington, D.C., and Springfield, Missouri.[6][9][10][11] Despite this plan to launch multiple clubs, only the one in Tacoma ever served any students, teaching a single child from a nearby school once per month from December 2016 to June 2017.[12][13] The program did not return the following year, and by the fall of 2017, former ASSC National Director Chalice Blythe confirmed in an interview there were no active programs.[14][15]

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, while allowing the Good News Club to remain. After four months of negotiations, it was agreed that the ASSC would stay on the elementary school campus where it had held its previous meetings.[16] The club is now in its fourth year, with monthly meetings scheduled through May 2025, with a focus on science experiments, craft projects, and card games.[17]

Besides Moline, clubs are currently being operated in: Tahachapi, California;[18] Lebanon, Connecticut;[19] Lebanon, Ohio;[20] San Clemente, California;[21] and Cordova, Tennessee.[22]

Clubs previously met at schools in: Delta County, Colorado;[23] Endwell, New York;[24] Wilmington, Ohio;[25] and Eaton, Ohio.[26] Some school districts have chosen to stop renting to any outside groups as a result of ASSC’s request to use its facilities.[27][28]

In addition to After School Satan Clubs, TST operates the Hellion Academy of Independent Learning (HAIL) in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.[29] It is identical to the ASSC except that it meets off-site during school hours. TST also supports a student-run High School Satan Club in Olathe, Kansas.[30]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Did the IRS 'Fast Track' Tax Exempt Status for After School Satan Clubs?". Snopes. Retrieved 2018-01-21.
  4. ^ "FAQ". After School Satan. Archived from the original on 2017-01-16. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ https://www.spotlightschools.com/after-school-satan-club/
  8. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". The Satanic Temple.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "Find a Club". After School Satan. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ 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)
  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.
  15. ^ "Recruiting Tomorrow's Satanists - The Jim Jefferies Show". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2017-11-16. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  16. ^ Kopatich, Kate (26 January 2024). "After School Satan Club returns to Jane Addams Elementary School". KWQC-TV. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article269038922.html
  19. ^ https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/after-school-satan-club-holds-first-meeting-at-lebanon-elementary-school/3162559/
  20. ^ https://www.fox19.com/2022/01/20/lebanon-schools-defends-rental-elementary-school-space-satanic-club/
  21. ^ https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-24/after-school-satan-club-is-coming-to-orange-county-its-not-what-you-think-organizers-say?fbclid=IwAR32WaiLtYa1HKu1Bqcgbwdx2_D5bo9JNvmI8SHzOSCpVc01sF5URML0Xvk
  22. ^ https://apnews.com/article/satan-club-chimneyrock-elementary-b579690d7701fa20097e5ab030a795d2
  23. ^ https://www.yahoo.com/news/colorado-first-ever-school-satan-180100634.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
  24. ^ https://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/2023/02/17/afterschool-satan-club-at-maine-endwell-elementary-what-to-know/69914321007/
  25. ^ https://www.wlwt.com/article/wilmington-district-after-school-satan-club-raises-community-concerns/42090279
  26. ^ https://www.facebook.com/thesatanictemple/posts/2502932403176094/
  27. ^ https://triad-city-beat.com/satanic-temple-after-schools/
  28. ^ https://www.pilotonline.com/2023/07/11/chesapeake-board-to-again-consider-banning-satan-club-and-other-groups-from-school-facilities/
  29. ^ https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/education/2023/11/07/york-county-district-averts-legal-fight-with-satanic-temple-with-launch-of-student-program/71477865007/#:~:text=The%20Massachusetts-based%20nontheistic%20religious%20group,%20which%20has%20a%20long%20history
  30. ^ https://www.foxnews.com/us/satan-club-approved-kansas-high-school