The Satanic Temple (TST) of Iowa has sued state officials after the group was denied an application to host an event in the State Capitol in late 2024. Predictably, the far-left American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has taken up TST’s case and helped the group file a lawsuit that claimed discrimination based on religion.
For context, the Satanic Temple of Iowa partnered with the ACLU to sue the Iowa Department of Administrative Services (IDAS) and the Iowa Governor’s office, claiming that the state had “illegally discriminated on the basis of religion” when the group was denied its application to host an event at the Iowa Capitol Building Rotunda that reportedly would have included “a ritual, Krampus costume contest, caroling, and other activities such as coloring pages, and make-and-take ornaments,” according to a statement from the ACLU.
According to a June 10, 2025, press release from the ACLU of Iowa, the lawsuit was filed “on behalf of Mortimer Adramelech,” who was described by ACLU of Iowa Communications Director Veronica Lorson Fowler as “Minister of Satan of the Iowa congregation of TST.” Furthermore, Fowler explained that the lawsuit argues that the state of Iowa “illegally discriminated on the basis of religion in denying TST Iowa’s application to hold a holiday display and event in the Iowa Capitol Building Rotunda in December 2024.”
Moreover, the press release included a statement from Adramelech, who said that state officials did not understand his religion, adding, “We are compassionate and caring human beings. We have families. We are Iowans, and we are simply seeking to exercise our right to freedom of religion.” In addition, Adremelech said that TST Iowa had “made it clear that our celebration, like our congregation, would be family-friendly.”
Continuing, Adremelech said that the state’s denial of TST Iowa’s application was “frustrating, ” adding, “Displays and celebrations like the one we would like to have at the Capitol help educate people more about The Satanic Temple members and the values we embrace. Instead, state officials have tried to silence us while promoting other more popular religions.”
In addition, ACLU of Iowa Legal Director Rita Bettis Austen weighed in on the case in the press release, saying, “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. ”
Furthermore, Bettis Austen also argued that the government had made “public space available” in the state capitol building for Christian and Jewish holiday displays, which, she said, meant that the state “cannot then legally deny the same right to other religious groups, and that includes our clients.” She added, “Members of The Satanic Temple Iowa have the same right to express their beliefs as all other religious groups do.”
Additionally, Matt Kezhaya, general counsel for The Satanic Temple, criticized the state’s refusal of TST’s application, saying, “Their refusal to reconsider, even after those clarifications, suggests a deeper motive: branding TST as ‘obscene’ rather than adhering to well-established First Amendment protections. The Constitution does not permit the government to judge the legitimacy or morality of a religion. It protects all beliefs, including those held by heretics, atheists, and agnostics. To ignore that principle is to risk returning to an era of persecution and intolerance.”
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