- The Satanic Temple and Saucon Valley School District say they have a deal "in principle"
- It's unclear whether more After School Satan Club meetings are planned
- The two sides have until Oct. 20 to finalize an agreement
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Saucon Valley School District and The Satanic Temple appear to be close to a settlement after the temple and the ACLU sued the district earlier this year for denying permission for the Satan Club to meet in school facilities.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has extended court filing deadlines since June to give both parties time to negotiate a resolution.
A filing last week said the two sides have reached an agreement “in principle as to all issues in the case.”
The school district and Satanic Temple told the court they needed until Oct. 20 to draft the settlement and submit it to the school board for approval.
The American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of The Satanic Temple in March after Saucon Valley schools Superintendent Jamie Vlasaty revoked permission for the After School Satan Club to hold meetings in its facilities after public backlash and a phoned-in threat of a shooting.
The Satanic Temple and the ACLU argued that because the district previously allowed other religious groups to use its facilities, it could not discriminate against this one.
Vlasaty claimed at the time the denial was due to the organization’s disregard of the district’s advertising rules, but federal court Judge John Gallagher indicated he believed the district violated the First Amendment’s free speech protections.
“At this stage of litigation… the record before the Court indicates the decision of Defendant, Saucon Valley School District, to rescind approval of the After School Satan Club’s use of District facilities was based on The Satanic Temple’s controversial views on religion and the community’s negative reactions thereto," Gallagher wrote.
He directed school officials to let the club hold three meetings on school property before the end of June. The school board has since approved new rules on advertising for outside groups.
The current school year started on Aug. 23 and it’s unclear whether the Satan Club will hold meetings at school buildings during this time.
“I'm frustrated that they chose us."Saucon Valley School Board Director Bryan Eichfeld
Sara Rose, deputy legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, did not directly address meetings when reached for comment.
“We’re hopeful we can resolve this case, and our focus right now is on that,” she said in an emailed statement.
Vlasaty said in an emailed comment that independent of the lawsuit, the club is aware of the changes to the facilities policy and would have to apply under the procedures now in place if they want to hold future meetings on school district property.
School board member Bryan Eichfeld said he didn’t know whether more meetings were in the works and said the meetings held in May for students were poorly attended.
Eichfeld declined to comment on the lawsuit beyond saying he was ready for it to all go away.
“I'm frustrated that they chose us,” he said. “You know, it's clearly just a symbolic thing that they're trying to do,” he said.
The Satan Club’s first meeting in May at Saucon Valley Middle School drew dozens of protesters, including Christian religious leaders and a Catholic priest, who held up signs and prayed the "Hail Mary" out loud from across the street from school property.
The school board meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.
