IOPList.Org

Illinois elementary school hosts after-school
Satan club, prompting parental backlash



by Jeremiah Poff,
Education Reporter 
January 12, 2022 04:19 PM



An elementary school in Illinois advertised an after-school Satan club hosted
by the Satanic Temple for students in first through fifth grade,
drawing the ire of parents.

Children at Jane Addams Elementary School in Moline, Illinois, are invited to
attend an “after-school Satan club” on five different dates throughout the
spring semester, according to a flyer advertising the club that was posted online.


FOX 2 reported the flyer drew the ire of parents, one of whom posted a picture of
the flyer on social media, saying, “How is this even a thing?” The parent added:
“I just know they’re about to catch hell because I would be going tf off.”

In a statement to FOX 2, a Moline-Coal Valley School District spokesperson said the
district has “policies and administrative procedures in place which allow for community
use of its publicly funded facilities outside the school day.”

Such activities include opportunities for religious groups, regardless of denomination,
to “rent our facilities for a fee,” the spokesperson said, noting that a Christian evangelism
group had been afforded the same opportunities as the Satanic Temple.

“Flyers and promotional materials for these types of groups are approved for lobby
posting or display only, and not for mass distribution,” the spokesperson said.
“Please note that the district must provide equal access to all groups and that students
need parental permission to attend any after-school event. Our focus remains on
student safety and student achievement.”

The flyer for the after-school Satan club promised students who attended
“science projects, puzzles and games, arts and crafts projects, [and] nature activities.”

The club is put on by “volunteer teachers” and “is based upon a uniform syllabus
that emphasizes a scientific, nationalist, non-superstitious worldview.”