By Fatma Younis
A federal judge in Iowa has ordered state officials to approve a holiday event by the Satanic Temple in the state capitol rotunda, ruling that the group is likely to succeed on its free speech claim.
Legal battle over religious display
The Satanic Temple’s Iowa chapter has sought for years to hold a holiday event at the capitol in Des Moines. Republican state officials, who control the governorship and legislative majorities, repeatedly denied the applications, citing policies against gratuitous violence and obscene displays. The organization filed a lawsuit in August alleging viewpoint discrimination.
Judge’s ruling
Chief District Judge Stephanie M. Rose wrote that the state’s arguments did not justify the denials. She found that concerns about the folklore character Krampus frightening children were not a permissible basis for excluding speech, and that props such as sticks included in costumes could not justify banning the entire event. The judge ordered the director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services to approve the application within seven days.
State response and appeal
Attorney General Brenna Bird’s office said Republicans intend to appeal the decision. Governor Kim Reynolds and the Department of Administrative Services have not yet commented on the order. In 2023, Reynolds called a similar Satanic Temple display “absolutely objectionable” but acknowledged the right to free speech.
Previous vandalism and controversy
A Satanic Temple display at the capitol in December 2023 was vandalized by a Christian military veteran. Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk pledged $10,000 to the vandal’s legal defense. The group’s 2024 application for a holiday display and event was subsequently denied.
Civil liberties perspective
Shefali Aurora, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Iowa, said the court order affirms that the government cannot restrict speech based on religious viewpoint or favor one religion over another. The Satanic Temple describes itself as a non-theistic religious organization that uses Satan as a symbol to oppose religious authoritarianism.
