Dispute over planned satanic celebration at Capitol sparks civil rights complaint
The rotunda in Iowa Capitol as seen May 8, 2025. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
The ACLU of Iowa has filed a civil rights complaint on behalf of The Satanic Temple Iowa, alleging state officials discriminated against the group by denying it permission to hold a winter celebration and ceremony in the rotunda of the Iowa Capitol as other religious groups do.
The complaint was filed with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission on behalf of Mortimer Adramelech, minister of Satan of the Iowa congregation of The Satanic Temple, against the Iowa Department of Administrative Services, its director, and the office of Gov. Kim Reynolds.
The complaint alleges the state illegally discriminated on the basis of religion in denying The Satanic Temple Iowa's application to hold a winter celebration event in the Iowa Capitol's rotunda in December 2024.
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The complaint alleges the denial was in retaliation for The Satanic Temple Iowa's three prior reports of discrimination.
Adramelech said Tuesday that state officials made a number of assumptions about his religion and used those assumptions to discriminate against his congregation. 'We are compassionate and caring human beings,' he said. 'We have families. We are Iowans and we are simply seeking to exercise our right to freedom of religion.'
The temple's application to use the Capitol rotunda specified that planned events would be family-friendly and appropriate for children. The events were to include a ritual, a costume contest, caroling, coloring and make-and-take ornaments.
The complaint alleges in denying the application, the state wrongly alleged the celebration would have included sex acts, gore, and similar content and was not suitable for minors.
In a written statement, Reynolds said that while the Capitol building is open to the public, the state's event policy 'takes into consideration conduct that would be harmful to minors.' Reynolds said the proposed winter celebration, 'which specifically targeted children, would have been harmful to children and so (the application) was denied.'
ACLU of Iowa Legal Director Rita Bettis Austen said Tuesday that 'it's one of the foundational principles of our country, and our state civil rights law, that the government should not favor one religious viewpoint or belief over another, or treat its citizens worse or better based on their religion. That means, among other things, that when the government makes the public space in the State Capitol available for other religious groups to use, for example, a Christmas or Hanukkah holiday display, it cannot then legally deny the same right to other religious groups, and that includes our clients.'
Once a complaint is filed with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, the commission may choose to investigate and act as a mediator in the dispute. After 60 days, the party filing the complaint has the option of pulling the complaint and requesting a 'right to sue' letter, allowing them to seek a resolution in district court.
The civil rights complaint is a separate proceeding from the lawsuit the ACLU of Iowa filed in April on behalf of the Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers. That lawsuit seeks to compel the governor's office to produce public records regarding the denial of the temple's application for its 2024 winter celebration. That litigation is still pending.
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