Saucon Valley School District reaches settlement after allegedly blocking Satan club from school facilities: ACLU
HELLERTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- The Satanic Temple, Inc. will collect $200,000 after reaching a settlement with the Saucon Valley School District in a lawsuit where they alleged students' and families' right to free speech and religious liberty were being infringed, according to the ACLU.
The lawsuit alleged school district officials improperly barred The Satanic Temple's After School Satan Club from holding meetings on school premises, the ACLU said.
The ACLU of Pennsylvania, the national ACLU and Dechert LLP represented The Satanic Temple in the lawsuit.
Six months ago, a federal court ordered the Saucon Valley School District to let the After School Satan Club meet at the Saucon Valley Middle School, stating the district had likely violated the First Amendment when it first prohibited the club's gatherings on school grounds
The director of The Satanic Temple's After School Satan Club Programming, June Everett, told the ACLU they are pleased with the school district's agreement.
"Thanks to the court's order, we were able to hold ASSC meetings at the Saucon Valley Middle School, and the kids who attended were overjoyed," Everett said. "It's for them that we took on this legal fight in the first place, and we won't hesitate to do so again if other school districts continue to enact discriminatory policies."
With the settlement, the school district has to permit The Satanic Temple and the After School Satan Club equal access to school facilities that other clubs and organizations have. Additionally, the settlement limits the school district from retaliating against anyone affiliated with The Satanic Temple and After School Satan Club or the organizations themselves, based on their viewpoint.
The district has also agreed to pay $200,000 to cover court costs for The Satanic Temple's attorneys.
The Satanic Temple originally applied to hold the after school club meetings at the Saucon Valley Middle School back in February. While the district initially approved the temple's application, the ACLU reported they quickly rescinded the approval due to public pressure.
The Satanic Temple responded by filing the lawsuit in March, claiming the district's decision reversal violated the First Amendment.