Satanic Temple withdraws application for After School Satan Club in Seattle school

Parents were relieved when it was announced that the Satanic Temple cancelled its application for the After School Satan Club at the Centennial Elementary School in Seattle.

Lilith Starr, head of the Satanic Temple in Seattle, said there is no available space for the temple to rent, Goskagit reports.

"We have our own school activities and that includes our own after-school program," said school principal Erwin Stroosma. "When that kind of stuff is going on, we don't allow other organizations to rent the facility," he added.

The Good News Bible Club is also affected by the lack of space at the school. The Child Evangelism Fellowship which operates the club has also withdrawn but it has pending applications in four other schools in the Mount Vernon School District.

After School Satan is aimed at countering the teachings of Good News Clubs. The Satanic Temple asserts that it is legal to set up the club in schools where other religious clubs are allowed to operate.

Starr said the Temple will now concentrate on its efforts to open a club at Point Defiance Elementary School in the Tacoma School District.

"I don't mind that we made a switch," Starr told Goskagit. "[The national organization wants] us to go somewhere where we can try to get in as soon as possible," she added.

Starr said the Temple took parents' objections to the club into consideration when they decided to withdraw the application.

"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," Starr continued.

Stroosma said the school would have been legally obligated to let the temple set up the After School Satan Club if it had not cancelled the application.

Last month, Duncan Fobes, a lawyer hired by the school district, advised administrators to allow the Satanic Temple to operate the clubs to avoid litigation costs. Fobes also advised against banning other after-school clubs to keep the Temple out.

"I think it's not an option here," the lawyer said. "I believe in this particular case you would still face some litigation, not only from the Satanic Temple, but also from the Good News Club," he added.