A half-dozen protesters led by a pastor stood outside an Illinois elementary school Thursday as it held its first 'after-school Satan club' meeting, with the district saying the club is allowed to meet because they can't discriminate against 'different viewpoints.'
Fliers for the club appeared this week at Jane Addams Elementary School in Moline, Illinois, a small city along the Mississippi River.
They read: 'Hey Kids, let’s have fun at our After School Satan Club! Science Projects! Puzzles & Games! Arts and Craft Projects! Nature Activities!'
The fliers also noted that five dates were already scheduled, with the first meeting held Thursday afternoon from 2.45 to 3.45pm.
A copy was posted online by a parent and quickly spread across social media, angering some.
The district says that a parent reached out to the 'national after-school satan club' to have them bring the program to the school, and that the club is not connected to any teacher or school employee.
A small group led by a pastor protested outside Jane Addams Elementary School in Moline, Illinois on Thursday as the school hosted the first meeting of an 'after-school Satan club'
Fliers for the Satan club started appearing this week and were posted online by a parent on Monday. The club already scheduled five meeting dates, starting Thursday
The district says a parent reached out to the Satanic Temple to host the club, and that the district can't discriminate against anyone willing to pay to rent space for after-school meetings
'To illegally deny their organization (viewpoint) to pay to rent our publicly funded institution, after school hours, subjects the district to a discrimination lawsuit, which we will not win, likely taking thousands upon thousands of tax-payer dollars away from our teachers, staff, and classrooms,' said Moline-Coal Valley Schools Superintendent Rachel Savage in a message posted to the district's website Wednesday.
On Thursday, Moline police had a cruiser and a community service officer on the scene when school got out, according to OurQuadCities.com.
The pastor leading the small protest said he and his group plan to protest as long as the club
