Satanic group offers materials to schools

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Satanic Temple has submitted a Satanic coloring book and two fact sheets to schools in Orange County, Fla., requesting permission to give them out to students in January.

The coloring book features cartoon children performing Satanic rituals and drawing pentagrams in school, along with a word search for words such as “acceptance” and “friends,” and a maze to reach the Necronmicon, a fabled occult spellbook. The children in the book wear Satanic symbols on their shirts, and spread anti-bullying and religious tolerance messages. A coloring page features a girl reading in a study filled with Satanic art, books and symbols. A connect-the-dots sheet creates a pentagram.

Orange County Public Schools counsel Woody Rodriguez said legal staff would review the materials, as it did for a previous atheist group that distributed some materials to Orange County students. There is no timeline for a decision.

The school board has discussed changing its policy that allows the distribution of religious materials on tables inside high schools, but no action has been taken, and no changes are planned.

“We definitely, definitely will not be distributing those materials until we have a work session on that issue” and give Rodriguez policy direction, said school board Chairman Bill Sublette on Tuesday.

A Bible distribution by World Changers of Florida, most recently in January, set off a series of lawsuits by an atheist group seeking to stop the practice.

The Satanic Temple is a loosely organized national group that has formed an alliance with atheist groups to make a statement against the practice of allowing the Bible distributions. The same group has gotten publicity by trying to get a statute of Baphomet installed at the Oklahoma Capitol.

“To be sure, if our materials are consistent with their standards, they can’t simply deny our literature because of its religious viewpoint,” said Satanic Temple spokesman Lucien Greaves.

“If the open forum for distribution goes forward, The Satanic Temple will be there,” he said Monday about the Orange County effort.

The Satanic Temple supports social justice and sees Satan as the “eternal rebel against the ultimate tyrant,” Greaves said.