老澳门开奖结果

HELLERTOWN, Pa. 鈥� In a victory for free speech and religious liberty, The Satanic Temple, Inc. (TST) has reached a settlement with the Saucon Valley School District in a lawsuit alleging that district officials improperly blocked TST鈥檚 After School Satan Club (ASSC) from meeting in school facilities. The settlement comes approximately six months after a federal court ordered the school district to allow the ASSC to convene at the Saucon Valley Middle School, ruling that the district had likely violated the First Amendment when it prevented students and families from gathering on school grounds in connection with the TST-sponsored club.

Under the settlement, the district must give TST and the ASSC the same access to school facilities that other comparable organizations receive. The agreement also prohibits the district from retaliating against TST, the ASSC, their volunteers, and their members based on their viewpoint or 鈥渢he exercise of their First Amendment rights.鈥� The district has agreed to pay $200,000 in attorneys鈥� fees and costs to TST鈥檚 attorneys.

鈥淲e are pleased that this matter has been resolved and that the school district has agreed to stop all discrimination against us,鈥� said June Everett, director of TST鈥檚 ASSC programming. 鈥淭hanks to the court鈥檚 order, we were able to hold ASSC meetings at the Saucon Valley Middle School, and the kids who attended were overjoyed. It鈥檚 for them that we took on this legal fight in the first place, and we won鈥檛 hesitate to do so again if other school districts continue to enact discriminatory policies.鈥�

TST applied to hold ASSC meetings at the Saucon Valley Middle School in February 2023, in accordance with the district鈥檚 policy allowing organizations, including religious groups like the Christian-based Good News Club, to rent SVSD facilities for civic, cultural, educational, and recreational activities. Although the district initially approved the application, it quickly reversed the decision in response to public pressure. Claiming that the district鈥檚 refusal to allow the ASSC to use school facilities violated the First Amendment, TST filed suit in March of 2023.

In granting emergency judicial relief to TST, a federal court concluded that the district鈥檚 decision to deny the ASSC access to school facilities was improperly 鈥渂ased on The Satanic Temple鈥檚 controversial views on religion and the community鈥檚 negative reactions thereto.鈥� The court explained: 鈥淲hen confronted with a challenge to free speech, the government鈥檚 first instinct must be to forward expression rather than quash it. Particularly when the content is controversial or inconvenient. Nothing less is consistent with the expressed purpose of American government to secure the core, innate rights of its people.鈥�

鈥淲e are pleased that the district is providing the ASSC equal access to school facilities in accordance with the court鈥檚 decision and has agreed to settle the case,鈥� said Sara Rose, deputy legal director of the 老澳门开奖结果 of Pennsylvania, which represented TST along with the national 老澳门开奖结果 and Dechert LLP. 鈥淎s the court recognized, when a public school opens up its facilities to community use, it cannot discriminate based on religious beliefs or other viewpoints. This settlement sends a powerful reminder to all school districts that the First Amendment protects the viewpoints and beliefs of all people and faiths, and we will take action when they forget or ignore this lesson.鈥�