Olathe Northwest High School in Kansas has approved the establishment of "High School Satan Club" as part of its extracurricular offerings despite strong opposition from students and parents.
Drew McDonald, an Olathe Northwest student, initiated a petition and gathered over 7,800 signatures against the establishment of the satanic club on campus. "Recently, I discovered that there are plans to establish a Satan Worship/Satan Templist Club at Olathe Northwest High School. This deeply troubles me and many others in our community, as we believe that schools should be places of education and growth, not platforms for satanic indoctrination or controversial practices," McDonald wrote.
But Erin Schulte, the assistant director of communications for Olathe Public Schools, defended the decision. She explained that the club was approved after meeting all necessary criteria through a demonstration of support from at least 10 interested students, outlining its difference from other existing clubs and an explanation of the unique contributions it would bring to the school. (Related: Connecticut school under fire for hosting December launch of After-School Satan Club.)
Schulte pointed to the federal Equal Access Act as the legal basis for the decision. She emphasized that schools are prohibited from denying students equal access to extracurricular groups based on religious, political, philosophical or other speech. The Act mandates that if a school allows one non-academic group to meet on school premises outside regular hours, it must also permit other similar groups. Olathe Northwest High School already has a Christian club, AWAKE, which meets after school.
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"There are a wide variety of different extracurricular clubs at the secondary level that are centered around religions, philosophies, politics, and values. These clubs are voluntarily attended by students and occur outside of the regular school day. As a school district, Olathe Public Schools follows both state and federal laws related to student groups," Schulte said.
The signatories cited different reasons for their opposition, including Christian beliefs, general moral concerns and unease about the potential impact of the club on the school atmosphere. However, some acknowledged that the club is likely protected under the First Amendment.
"[It] seems we lost this round and I don't agree with it, but consider this: It’s within their First Amendment rights in our own Constitution for them to assemble. Other school districts have lost this battle in court. I think it’s better to have ‘no’ religious groups on school property than this," wrote a local parent named Gregory Austin.
ASSC claims are DECEPTIVE
The Satanic Temple, describing itself as a non-theistic religion, celebrated its approval in Kansas on December 26 on Facebook. The organization claims its affiliated clubs provide a space for children to explore their interests and develop creativity, free from threats of eternal damnation.
"The first [After School Satan Club] ASSC-affiliated High School Satan Club will debut in Kansas next month! This student-led club has completed all the required steps to be an officially registered on-campus student club and will operate alongside other student-led religious clubs. The debut of the ASSC-affiliated High School Satan Club will mark the beginning of what’s sure to be an exciting year for our After School Satan Club campaign!" the organization wrote.
The 2001 decision of the Supreme Court to let both non-religious and religious groups use public school spaces equally also backed the approval of a satanic temple at Olathe Northwest High School.
However, critics, including Pacific Justice Institute attorney Emily Mimnaugh, argue that their claims are deceptive.
"One of the messages from the promoters of these clubs is that ‘we are not actually promoting Satanism; we are here to encourage religious liberty and freedom of thought. And you know, in my opinion, that's like Chairman Mao saying he's founding a communist club not to promote communism but to explore different theories of economics. Right. It’s absolute nonsense, and you need to be aware of it," Mimnaugh said in a Zoom meeting earlier this year.
