The Satanic Temple is launching a counter-initiative to an Ohio elementary school’s Christian education program.
The temple announced its Hellions Academy of Independent Learning in a Nov. 23 Facebook post. The program is set to launch this month at Edgewood Elementary in Marysville, Ohio, according to WOSU-FM in Columbus, Ohio.
HAIL is a Released Time Religious Education program, meaning students are legally allowed to leave class during school hours to attend off-campus religious instruction.
Satanic Temple representative June Everett said HAIL is a counter-movement against LifeWise Academy, a Christian released-time program available at Edgewood Elementary, WOSU reported.
“We really are no fan of it,” Everett said. “We do believe strongly in religious pluralism and religious freedom. But we would absolutely go away if they stopped doing their program.
“But until they can, you know — as long as they continue to offer this to the public schools and demand that they be in the public schools, we will be there as well,” she said.
The Satanic Temple is offering a Satan Club for students at a @MarysvilleEVSD elementary school in Ohio. Despite obvious satanic symbols, an organizer for the Satanic Temple claims “it’s not teaching Satanism.”
They are trying to indoctrinate and corrupt your children. pic.twitter.com/eOeEMVuY0J
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 4, 2024
Released time programs are intended specifically for religious education, but Everett said HAIL does not actually worship the biblical Satan or any spiritual being.
“We are not devil worshipers,” Everett said. “Different Satanists across the United States will give you different answers depending on how they personally believe.
“But as a whole, we are non-theistic, meaning we don’t believe in any supernatural deities, and that includes, you know, God or Satan.”
Four students have enrolled in HAIL so far, according to WSYX in Columbus, Ohio.
“As long as there’s one child wanting to attend and one family wanting to send their child, that’s all that we care about. We’re not in this for the numbers,” Everett said.
Meanwhile, LifeWise Academy currently has 251 students across the Marysville school district enrolled in its program.
LifeWise CEO Joel Penton issued a statement in response to the Satanic Temple’s controversial move.
“The development in Marysville shows why the legislature should pass HB 445, which would give schools districts greater clarity on how to implement released time religious instruction (RTRI),” Penton said, according to WOSU.
“LifeWise isn’t fearful of other organizations offering RTRI. We believe all families should have the opportunity to choose religious study during school hours, and we trust parents to make the best choice for their children,” he said.
As of Thursday, Marysville School District hadn’t responded to WOSU’s request for comment.
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