A federal judge has ruled that Iowa state officials must grant the Satanic Temple of Iowa a permit to install displays and hold holiday events at the Iowa State Capitol under the same permitting standards applied to other religious groups.
The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa in August. The organization argued that state officials violated the Satanic Temple’s constitutional rights by denying its requests to hold holiday events at the Capitol for the past two years.
The Satanic Temple’s 2023 Capitol display was vandalized by a Mississippi man who traveled to Iowa after learning about the group’s plans.
Following the court’s decision, Shafali Aurora, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Iowa, said the government cannot favor one religious group over another or restrict speech based on religious beliefs.
Rita Bettis Austen, legal director of the ACLU of Iowa, said the preliminary injunction addresses the organization’s request to use the Capitol space under the same conditions as other groups.
The ruling concerns the government’s treatment of religious expression and access to public spaces. It does not determine whether the Satanic Temple’s beliefs are correct or endorse the organization’s religious views.
The U.S. District Court is expected to consider whether to issue a permanent injunction. The preliminary injunction remains the current court order while the case proceeds.
Source: Information provided from the ACLU of Iowa’s statements and the reported federal court ruling.
