Satanic Temple cancels plans for After School Satan Club
MOUNT VERNON – Applause broke out Tuesday night at Centennial Elementary School as Principal Erwin Stroosma announced that the Satanic Temple of Seattle had withdrawn its request to start a so-called “After School Satan Club” at the school.
“It’s a relief to everybody in this room,” Stroosma said at a community meeting held in the school’s cafeteria.
Satanic Temple of Seattle chapter head Lilith Starr said the temple was told by the Mount Vernon School District that because of district-sponsored after-school activities at the school, there was no space for the temple to rent until several hours after school let out.
“We have our own school activities and that includes our own after-school program,” Stroosma said. “When that kind of stuff is going on, we don’t allow other organizations to rent the facility.”
The same lack of after-school availability applies to the Good News Bible Club, which is operated by the Child Evangelism Fellowship and which has held a program at the school in the past.
The bible club’s presence at the school sparked the temple’s efforts to form its own program.
Because of the same scheduling issues, the Good News Bible Club has also rescinded its request to rent space at the school, Stroosma said.
The Good News Bible Club does, however, have rental applications pending at four of the district’s other five elementary schools, school district Superintendent Carl Bruner said.
Starr said the Temple will refocus its efforts on opening a club at Point Defiance Elementary School in the Tacoma School District.
“I don’t mind that we made a switch,” Starr said. “(The national organization wants) us to go somewhere where we can try to get in as soon as possible.”
After meeting with district officials, Starr said, she learned of staunch opposition from some parents to the temple’s proposal. While the backlash wasn’t the deciding factor in the temple deciding to withdraw its request, the temple took it into consideration.
“It was particularly hard for the Mount Vernon community,” she said. “Obviously we don’t want to tear apart a community, but we do feel our program is appropriate for all children.”
If the temple had not withdrawn its application, Stroosma said, the district would have been legally obligated to rent space to the club.
Parents, however, would have had the ability to keep their children from participating, he said.
Reporter Kera Wanielista: 360-416-2141, kwanielista@skagitpublishing.com, Twitter: @Kera–SVH, facebook.com/KeraReports