Satanic Temple sues MSCS, claiming discrimination
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Satanic Temple, which sponsors the After School Satan Club, is suing Memphis-Shelby County Schools, claiming it defied the First Amendment.
According to court documents, the district has “attempted to thwart the Satanic Temple at every turn in order to constructively block and deter the ASSC from meeting at Chimenyrock Elementary.”
The group alleges MSCS has done this by charging The Satanic Temple excessive rental rates, charging unexpected and exorbitant security fees, and attempting to block and hinder ASSC meetings.
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“They’ve been charging us excess fees, they’ve been attempting to block us in every way possible, ignoring our emails, everything has been last minute. When it comes to approvals we don’t know what’s going on, we don’t know where we stand,” said June Everett, national campaign director for the Satanic Temple’s After School Satan Club.
The group alleges that at one point they were given a large special security fee of more than $2,000 for 10 additional security officers for four hours and another $250 for field lights.
The group says the district does not have the same rules for other organizations like the Good News Club, a Christian group founded by Child Evangelism Fellowship.
The Satanic Temple claims MSCS’s discriminatory treatment stems from community members.
They are seeking an order of approval of their reservation requests by MSCS. They also want to reserve facilities in the district without discriminatory rental fees.
“We are seeking nominal damages of $1,” Everett said. “There’s a false rumor, false perception that the Satanic Temple goes around suing, looking for opportunities to sue for millions and millions of dollars. The Satanic Temple sues for equal access and equal rights.”
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The Satanic Temple claims to be a non-theistic religion that views Satan as a figure who represents “championing the human mind and spirit.” The group says the club does not attempt to convert children to any religious ideology. The clubs began nationwide in 2020.
“I want to assure you that I do not endorse, I do not support the beliefs of this organization at the center of the recent headlines,” Interim Superintendent Toni Williams said back in December. “I do, however, support the law. As a superintendent, I am duty-bound to uphold our board policy, state laws, and the constitution.”
WREG has reached out to Memphis Shelby County Schools regarding the lawsuit. They stated that they do not comment on pending litigation. However, they later sent this statement:
“Memphis-Shelby County Schools has an established policy for facility rentals that
applies to various groups, regardless of affiliation. The facility rentals policy can be
found on our website: https://www.facilitron.com/scs38112.
“We want to assure everyone that there have been no disruptions to the daily operations
of our school or education at Chimneyrock Elementary. Our legal team is actively
working on the lawsuit, and as a school board, we are committed to ensuring that
students, staff, and families are supported as we finish the school year successfully.”
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