Satanic Temple accuses Iowa officials of religious discrimination
The Satanic Temple Iowa on Tuesday filed a complaint accusing state officials of discriminating against the group because of its members' religion, having denied them access to the state Capitol building for a December holiday display and event.
The group's holiday observances garnered national attention in 2023 after a Mississippi man destroyed their Iowa Statehouse display depicting the horned deity Baphomet, which was permitted in the rotunda along with a Christmas tree and other religious holiday installations.
The temple's application for a display and event in December 2024 was denied, a decision that the organization says violated its members' constitutional rights and Iowa civil rights law.
Messages seeking comment were left with the state's Department of Administrative Services, which oversees the use of public space in the Iowa Capitol; and with Gov. Kim Reynolds' office.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa filed the complaint with Iowa's civil rights office Tuesday on behalf of Mortimer Adramelech, minister of Satan for the Iowa Satanic Temple congregation. Rita Bettis Austen, ACLU Iowa's legal director, said the complaint with the civil rights office is the first step required before a legal claim of discrimination under Iowa civil rights law can be filed in court. The state's ACLU chapter hopes the complaint will be enough for state officials to reverse course.
The ACLU of Iowa also filed a lawsuit in April after Gov. Kim Reynolds' office withheld or redacted requested records related to the Satanic Temple's display and event, citing executive privilege.
The complaint references a decision by Adam Steen, administrative services director, to deny the group's application because obscene materials and gratuitous violence are not permitted in the building that regularly hosts children of all ages. Steen told the group the costumes they proposed for the event included sticks that could be 'used as weapons on children' and 'positions the event to be harmful to minors.'
The Satanic Temple alleges that was an 'absurd, unfounded concern' used to justify the denial and that their application specified the event would be family friendly. The complaint cites open records that the organization says make it clear the governor's office and Steen were meeting at the time to prepare a response.
'The simple truth is the State of Iowa does not want to allow Satanists to enjoy the same access to the Iowa State Capitol as other 'mainstream' religions, in particular Christianity, and in particular during the Christmas holiday season,' the complaint reads.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
ESPN's Mina Kimes bizarrely claims LA protests are being 'mischaracterized' by the media
ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes offered a critique of modern American media in the context of the anti-ICE protests which have swept Los Angeles this week. Kimes, who has been with ESPN since 2014, lives in Los Angeles and has been near those who have been using their voice to express their anger with the Trump administration's roving law enforcement rounding up hundreds of people across the nation. In a post on social media, Kimes says that the media's portrayal of what is happening on the ground is 'mischaracterized' and offered the opinion that modern media may not be the best way to deliver truth to the country. 'The disparity btwn what's actually happening in Los Angeles and the way it's being mischaracterized is one of the biggest stress tests of modern media in recent memory,' Kimes wrote on Bluesky. 'Botted socials, AI, old clips, declining literacy—it's like seeing a broken emergency response system hit by a storm.' When one user on the app replied to her tweet saying that Kimes 'clearly [hasn't] been in LA', the reporter replied, 'I live here lol'. Kimes, who lives in LA, says the scope of the protests are being 'mischaracterized' by media Kimes' fears appear to follow a trend of reports, images, and other forms of media being tied to these protests which either are outdated or outright false. Senator Ted Cruz and California governor Gavin Newsom argued on X earlier this week about video of police vehicles set on fire, which Newsom's media office clarified came from 2020. The BBC's Verify team debunked a TikTok livestream which was hosted by a fake National Guardsman saying he was preparing to go around 'gassing' protestors. Other posts showed footage of Marines driving 'into Los Angeles', when in reality, it was video of them driving to their base in San Diego County. There are reporters on the ground who are providing accurate updates in real time - with some even being shot by police. Kimes has been vocal online about her political leanings in the past, and considering she lives in the very city being affected, it's not shocking that she'd provide her perspective on this issue.
Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Trump admits why Elon Musk 'doesn't like' him anymore while sticking it to him AND Gavin Newsom with move to 'save' the auto industry
President Donald Trump on Thursday stuck it to both Elon Musk and California Gov. Gavin Newsom with the stroke of a pen. Trump signed a resolution that blocked California's rule that banned the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 - something supported by Newsom that could have been a boon for Musk's Tesla. The president's signing ceremony included a long-winded speech with some of Trump's greatest hits - voicing his hatred for windmills, sharks and battery powered boats. He also brought up, unprompted, his fallout with Musk, which happened just one week ago. Trump claimed that on his first day in office he ended the 'Green New Scam' and abolished the electric vehicle mandate at the federal level. 'Now we know why Elon doesn't like me so much,' Trump said. 'Which he does actually, he does.' The president said he found it 'very interesting' that the billionaire Tesla head supported him during the 2024 race, knowing that he planned to do away with the Biden-era EV mandates. 'And Elon still endorsed me. And honestly, he never spoke to me about that. And I used to say I'm amazed that he's endorsing me because it can't be good for him,' Trump said. 'He said, "well, as long as it's happening to everybody, I'll be able to compete,"' the president said quoting Musk. Trump said he found this to be 'a very honest answer.' 'After that he got a little bit strange,' the president admitted. Last Thursday, Trump and Musk were throwing bombs at each other over the SpaceX head's criticism of the Republicans' 'big beautiful bill,' which the DOGE leader argued destroyed his efforts of federal cost-cutting. It got so heated that Musk wildly claimed that Trump appeared in pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's files and should be impeached and replaced with 40-year-old Vice President J.D. Vance. Tensions have simmered down since, as Trump has been busy going after a true political rival - Democrat Newsom - amid unrest in downtown Los Angeles over the president's 'mass deportation' policy. During the president's nearly hour and a half appearance in the East Room - which turned into a full-blown press conference, Trump referred to Newsom by his nickname 'Newscum' and also called him as 'Gov. Gavin.' 'Under the previous administration, the federal government gave left-wing radicals in California dictatorial powers to control the future of the entire car industry all over the country - all over the world,' Trump complained. 'They approved Gov. Gavin Newscum's ridiculous plan to impose a 100 percent ban on all new gas-powered cars within a very short period of time,' the president continued. He called the policy 'ridiculous' and then segued into this week's ordeal, where Trump was battling with Newsom over the president's decision to federalize the National Guard and send them to quell the LA protests - against the governor's wishes. 'Los Angeles would be burning down right now. Be burning just like his damn houses burned down,' Trump fumed.
The Independent
41 minutes ago
- The Independent
Iran's nuclear programme may get bombed by Israel. That would be bad for America - but not Trump's friends
Donal Trump has a problem – his affections appear to have been divided - because of Iran. Vladimir Putin, who he sees as a model leader, and Benjamin Netanyahu, who has a tough guy vibe the US President finds irresistible, are on opposite sides over Tehran's march towards nuclear weapons. The UN's International Atomic Energy Authority has just announced that Iran is in breach of its non-proliferation obligations. Iran says it has been warned by a 'friendly country' that Israel may attack its nuclear facilities. Israel fears Tehran is building a Bomb and its leaders have frequently pledged to wipe the Jewish state off the face of the earth. The Trump administration has seen this coming. The defence department has re-routed 20,000 air defence missiles destined for Ukraine to US forces in the Middle East. The US is also drawing down on embassy staff, warning Americans to get out of Iraq, and generally bracing for what may be retaliation following a unilateral Israeli attack on Iran. Of course, such an attack would need to be supported by the US – not least in terms of air refuelling and logistical support. It would probably involve the use of US bombs and certainly US manufactured aircraft. Iran has ordered its armed forces are mobilized for drills focussed on 'enemy movements'. Gulf nations like Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates will be jittery – they've signed the Abraham Accords normalizing relations with Israel and, along with Qatar, have large US naval or air force bases on their territory. Trump has long derided the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreed with Iran which dialled back its nuclear ambitions and has frequently warned Iran not to try to develop a nuclear weapon. He would be happy to see Israel take the initiative – after all he has defended Netanyahu's actions in Gaza, even putting sanctions on the International Criminal Court because is 'abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant'. But Russia is deeply involved in Iran's nuclear programme. Moscow has a long-standing programme to develop Iran civilian nuclear power industry and has already built the Bushehr I plant, is building the Bushehr II reactor and is planning on more at Sirik and Karun. Iran also supplies drones, built drone factories in Russia, helps with missile technology and is bound into Moscow's military-industrial complex at deep levels that have grown deeper with the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Iran is a key ally in Russia's war in Europe. Trump has maintained staunchly pro-Russian positions on Ukraine in demanding that any future peace deal leaves Russia in control of about a fifth of Ukraine, and out of Nato. Trump has taken Russia's side at UN refusing to condemn Moscow's invasion. He has stopped allocating military aid to Kyiv. A large-scale Israeli attack on Iran aimed at its nuclear programme would also have to focus on its wider military capabilities. Those are capabilities that Russia draws on. Trump has little real influence over Netanyahu and will not try, publicly anyway, to hold him back for fear of rejection. The Israeli Prime Minister has repeatedly shown that he's largely immune to pressure from the White House. But as Trump's agenda so far this year has been to undermine long-standing alliances and friendships with the US in favour of Israel and Russia – the threat of conflict between Israel and Iran doesn't tear at his loyalties. Israel could remove a growing nuclear threat from Iran's regime which has threatened annihilation. Russia is already benefitting from Ukraine's loss of 20,000 missiles. And if Iran counter attacks with assaults on US targets in the Middle East the US president is confident his forces could defend themselves. But pressure to further downgrade US involvement in the region will grow in Washington – and that suits Putin just fine. None of this would be good for America. But at home and abroad, that doesn't look like a priority for Trump – who consistently favours men like Putin and Netanyahu and who both may gain from chaos in the Middle East.
