The FFRF Action Fund’s “Theocrat of the Week” is the Iowa Department of Administrative Services for denying two years in a row The Satanic Temple’s request to host a holiday event at the state Capitol.
The department was also “Theocrat of the Week” at the end of 2024 for its initial discrimination against The Satanic Temple. “Today the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) has denied an event request from The Satanic Temple based on the grounds the event was also denied last year,” reads a statement from department spokesperson Tami Wieneck. The Satanic Temple’s holiday program, described as a “family-friendly one-day event celebrating the holiday season,” was thwarted last year because then-Department of Administrative Services Director Adam Steen decided that it included “elements that are harmful to minors.”
The Satanic Temple asserts that the government is not allowed to deny public services or benefits to religious groups because officials disagree with their beliefs. After the group planned to host a four-day reading of John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” inside the Capitol in 2024, the Iowa Department of Administrative Services swiftly changed its rules for those using Capitol space. Events were no longer permitted to last longer than one day, any display that could be considered as “obscene” was barred, and each group was restricted to one event per calendar year. Holiday displays are considered an event under the new rules, meaning that The Satanic Temple could not host a reading of “Paradise Lost” and organize a holiday display in the same year.
Last year, The Satanic Temple hosted its “Paradise Lost” event at a different location to ensure that it could put up a holiday display at the Capitol. However, it was still turned down on the grounds that the celebration, which included ornament making and a coloring station, was “harmful to minors.” After the cancellation, the Satanic Temple accused the state of discrimination and violation of the Iowa Civil Rights Act in a claim filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa.
The state repeated its religious discrimination last month, again cancelling The Satanic Temple’s holiday event because of its potential harm to minors, all without evidence of what the state considered to be harmful. In the wake of this year’s denial, Steen, who resigned as department head earlier this year to enter Iowa’s gubernatorial race, held a press conference at the Iowa Capitol to celebrate the decision. “This shows what happens when leadership stands up in the face of evil,” Steen boasted. He has highlighted the controversy in his campaigning, claiming that the Temple’s civil rights complaint shows he is the candidate who will fight to protect children.
“This is a tipping point,” Steen said. “No more marketing to children. No more trying to get them to create satanic symbols, sing satanic hymns, partake in satanic rituals. No more having youth involved in costume contests that depict weapons used to abuse youth. This is not religious expression. It’s not free speech. It is evil.”
About the 2023 Satanic Temple display that was approved at the Capitol, Steen said, “I did that because it was not a matter of whether or not it was harmful to minors. It was a static statue, and I did not want to fight a free speech issue at that time.” That display was later vandalized by a Mississippi resident, who was charged with a hate crime and eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
The Iowa state government’s continual discrimination against the Satanic Temple is a clear civil rights violation. The FFRF Action Fund contends that religious liberty must encompass all religions and nonreligion, not just the religions with which public officials agree.
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.