Satan club plans to meet after classes at Tennessee elementary school

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — An After School Satan Club plans to begin offering activities to children at a Tennessee elementary school following Christmas break, officials said.

The Satanic Temple plans to host the club at Chimneyrock Elementary School in Cordova, news outlets reported. It will begin meeting on Jan. 10 in the school’s library and run through the spring semester, according to an announcement Tuesday posted on social media.

A flyer about the club says the Satanic Temple is a non-theistic religion that views Satan “as a literary figure who represents a metaphorical construct of rejecting tyranny and championing the human mind and spirit.”

It says it does not attempt to convert children to any religious ideology, but offers activities that “emphasize a scientific, rationalistic, non-superstitious worldview.”

Memphis-Shelby County Schools said in a statement that the district would rent out the space to the organization per its policy.

“As a public school district, we’re committed to upholding the principles of the First Amendment, which guarantees equal access to all non-profit organizations seeking to use our facilities after school hours,” the statement said. “This means we cannot approve or deny an organization’s request based solely on its viewpoints or beliefs.”

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