Federal Judge Orders Iowa to Allow Satanic Temple Holiday Event in State Capitol

State officials in Iowa must grant permission within seven days for a local Satanic Temple organization to hold a holiday event inside the state capitol rotunda, a federal judge ordered on Monday.

The preliminary injunction issued by Chief District Judge Stephanie M. Rose clears the path for the religious group to stage a winter gathering next month, bringing to a head a legal battle over public displays in the building. According to the office of the attorney general, Brenna Bird, state Republicans intend to appeal the federal judge’s decision.

The dispute centers on rejected applications by the Satanic Temple, which filed a federal lawsuit in August alongside its Iowa chapter leader against current and former state officials. The complaint, handled in part by the ACLU of Iowa, alleged that the state discriminated against the group’s religious viewpoint by repeatedly denying permits for holiday gatherings.

Judge Orders State to Approve Application

In her court order, Judge Rose stated that the religious organization was likely to succeed on its free speech claim. She ordered Mark Campbell, the current director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services, to approve the application.

The state had defended its rejections by citing capitol building policies prohibiting gratuitous violence and obscene displays. State leaders previously pointed to props associated with the group’s planned programming—specifically costumes of the European folklore character Krampus that included bundles of sticks—arguing they could be used as weapons or frighten children present in the public space.

Judge Rose dismissed those justifications, writing that concerns over children being frightened by Krampus were not a permissible basis for excluding speech, and that the presence of sticks could not justify banning an entire event. She noted that props remain subject to standard security screening applied to all visitors.

“State officials have made it clear that they denied TST permission to hold events in the Capitol rotunda because they disagreed with their religious viewpoint,” said Shefali Aurora, ACLU of Iowa staff attorney, in a statement. “It is a foundational principle that the government cannot restrict speech in this way, favor one religion over another, or discriminate against religious groups because they don’t agree with them.”

A Back-and-Forth History at the Capitol

In December 2023, the group featured a religious holiday display in the rotunda alongside a Christian nativity scene. That display, depicting the goat-headed figure Baphomet, was subsequently vandalized. Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point, pledged $10,000 to the accused vandal’s legal defense. Following the 2023 display, the state denied the Satanic Temple’s applications beginning in 2024.

During the 2023 controversy, Governor Kim Reynolds publicly criticized the display, stating, “like many Iowans, I find the Satanic Temple’s display in the Capitol absolutely objectionable. In a free society, the best response to objectionable speech is more speech, and I encourage all those of faith to join me today in praying over the Capitol and recognizing the nativity scene that will be on display – the true reason for the season.”

Legal filings and court records highlighted shifting explanations from officials regarding the permit denials. Adam Steen, the former director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services, coordinated denials with the governor’s office. In public statements at the time, Steen outlined a pivot in policy, stating, “No more marketing to children… No more trying to get them to create Satanic symbols, sing Satanic hymns, partake in Satanic rituals.” However, under oath, Steen testified that the group’s religious beliefs played no role in his decisions.

Next Steps for the Des Moines Gathering

The Satanic Temple, founded in Salem, Massachusetts, in 2013, describes itself as a non-theistic religious organization advocating for secularism. The group maintains that it does not worship Satan, but rather uses the figure as a symbol of opposition to arbitrary authority and religious authoritarianism.

Organizers stated that their planned holiday event would feature caroling, children’s coloring, ornament-making, and costumes depicting Krampus. Attorneys representing the organization praised the federal ruling as a defense of pluralism.

“Too often, fear or misunderstanding of the ‘other’ is amplified by petty governmental bureaucrats looking to score cheap political points by portraying unfamiliar beliefs as ‘dangerous,'” Matt Kezhaya, attorney for the Satanic Temple, said in a statement.

Neither Governor Reynolds nor representatives for the Iowa Department of Administrative Services immediately responded to requests for comment following the Monday ruling.