School District Responds To Backlash Regarding “After School Satan Club” At Tennessee Elementary School
Image Credit: Memphis-Shelby County Schools / Facebook & The Satanic Temple / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
The Satanic Temple’s After School Satan Club (ASSC) will be coming to Chimneyrock Elementary School in Cordova, Tennessee on January 10th, 2024.
This ASSC meeting will be the first meeting of its kind in the State of Tennessee.
“HEY KIDS! LET’S HAVE FUN AT AFTER SCHOOL SATAN CLUB!” reads the flyer announcing the ASSC’s arrival.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) interim superintendent Toni Williams, and some MSCS board members have since come out to say that the school district really had no choice in the matter.
“I want to assure you that I do not endorse, I do not support the beliefs of this organization and the center of recent headlines,” Williams said. “I do, however, support the law.”
The interim superintendent stated that as a public school district, they are required to grant equal access to all nonprofit organizations looking to use their facilities during after-school hours.
She added that MSCS cannot approve or deny a nonprofit’s request based simply on what an organization believes.
“Let’s not be fooled by what we’ve seen in the past 24 hours,” said Williams, “which is an agenda initiated to ensure that we cancel all faith-based organizations that partner with our school district.”
This begs the question of whether some Tennesseans may be willing to stop allowing other religious groups like the Good News Club, to use public school property if it would mean the Satanic Temple would not be able to use the space either.
“These are children, some very young children,” said MSCS board member Mauricio Calvo, “and they are being used for a political agenda that has no place in our schools.”
Campaign director for the Satanic Temple’s ASSC, June Everett, has discounted this idea saying that eliminating other faith-based after-school meetings is not their goal.
“It’s not our agenda,” said Everett. “Our agenda is to have equal access and the same rights and privileges other religious clubs do have.”
Everett previously told The Tennessee Conservative that the ASSC was actually requested by a Chimneyrock Elementary parent, saying that the club “only goes where it has been invited.”
MSCS officials have notified parents that they are not promoting the club and that those who do not want to participate don’t have to.
“We stand with the First Amendment, we stand with the Constitution of the United States of America, but our liberality is being taken advantage of,” said one religious leader. “We cannot allow any entity call ‘Satanic Temple’ to have time, private time with our children. Especially our elementary school children. […] This is in fact what I call ‘Satan Personified.’”
Click here to read more about the Satanic Temple’s ASSC.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
Due to equal access the school is in a tough spot.
Hope a Christian after school group is available!
Could this “Satan” club be challenged as not a legitimate religious group as they themselves state they do not worship Satan and other belief statements that indicate they do not see themselves as a religion/religious group but rather a philosophy or an activist group?
I do not like what is happening. But I agree with the fact that free speech applies to speech I don’t like. By making the facilities available to some groups, it needs to allow all groups. Maybe the public schools need to be education only; or people who have different values need to stay away and let it die a natural death. What would be more concerning is if people other than the organizers show up. That reflects on community values that have derailed, and that would be a shame. Parents, you do still control what your kids do (or you should).
THAT’S AN EXCUSE , NOT A REASON !!!
If A Club that promoted Human Sacrifice (non-profit) were to want to meet on school property , I Feel Quite Sure that the school board would “Find A Way” to either Prevent THAT Group from meeting On School Property OR Would ASK for the support that it needed to “Change The Law” !!!
Put “Each Club” Up For A Vote – BY THE PARENTS , to decide IF Any Such Club should be Allowed to Exist or Meet On School Property Or With School Board Approval !!!
I would like to know who “INVITED” this demonic group to have access to our children?
That person is the real culprit, and should be ran out of town!
I feel this is a wakeup call to us as Christians. We need to reach out and spread the gospel so that these kind of organizations will not exist in the minds of our people to see a need to start clubs.
Christian’s toleration of evil is why we’re in this mess.
Yes they did have a CHOICE!! There is a choice when allowing wholesome organizations to meet verses clubs that will lead your children and others into a path that leads to jail, drugs , or death of the body and soul.
When are the protests going to happen? CHRISTUS DOMINUS!!
This is what happens when the Socialist State takes the raising of the children from the parents.
Lenin, Stalin, Hitler and the Department of Education are all guilty of raising the children and destroying their minds.
I’m sure that there is an after school Catholic/Christian Group.
Afterall, equality and diversity for all?
This ‘club’ is NOT faith based. And Free Speech is not guaranteed to all, it must not be violated by the GOVERNMENT, not other people. We wonder if the school educators tried to check out avenues of resistance. Pathetic.
This is “OUR STATE”, we have the “RIGHT” to say what can, can not be allowed to teach, demonstrate in our schools and especially to our Children.
We, THE PEOPLE, don’t “HAVE TOO” allow anything we consider “DANGEROUS” to our Children,
I can’t think of anything “MORE DANGEROUS” than allowing the “DEVIL AND HIS DISCIPLES” to “CON CHILDREN” into believing a “LIE” and being “TORMENTED FOR ETERNITY”.
Most get all excited over Guns, but don’t have the “INTEGRITY” to “Defend GOD’S WORDS” to save their Children.
It’s no wonder the Devil is moving in on the children,
the “ADULTS” are “WORTHLESS” when it comes to defending their “Country”, “their Children” and “God”.
So Stupid as to”GIVE” the “DEVIL EQUAL RIGHTS”.
Government was never given “ENUMERATED POWER” TO LEGISLATE anything in the “BILL OF RIGHTS”,
Consequently, NO LAW can force a State/People/County/School system to accept a “Doctrine” they refuse.
If California wants to accept it, that’s their choice, but not ours.
That’s our Constitution and Freedoms.