INTERFERENCE WITH OFFICIAL ACTS. WE’RE GETTING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE APPLICATION ORGANIZERS WITH THE SATANIC TEMPLE IOWA, SUBMITTED TO THE STATE FOR A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION. THAT REQUEST WAS FOR LAST DECEMBER, BUT THE STATE ARGUED IT WAS HARMFUL TO MINORS. vlog INVESTIGATES HAS SPENT MONTHS REQUESTING A COPY OF THE EVENT APPLICATION. NICOLE TAM LOOKED INTO WHAT WAS SUBMITTED IN THAT DOCUMENT. NICOLE. WELL, STACY AND BEN, ANYBODY CAN SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO USE THE COMMON GROUNDS AT THE CAPITOL BUILDING OR COMPLEX AS LONG AS IT’S 30 CALENDAR DAYS BEFORE AN EVENT. THE SATANIC TEMPLE, IOWA, TURNED IN THEIR APPLICATION ON OCTOBER 7TH FOR AN EVENT THAT’S SCHEDULED ON DECEMBER 14TH. NOW, IN THAT APPLICATION, ORGANIZERS WROTE THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE FAMILY FRIENDLY. THE ITINERARY SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE RITUAL. KRAMPUS COSTUMES, CAROLING, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES SUCH AS COLORING PAGES, ALONG WITH MAKE AND TAKE ORNAMENTS. LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK NOW. THESE WERE PICTURES THAT WERE SUBMITTED AS PART OF THE APPLICATION OF THOSE COLORING PAGES AND SAMPLES OF THE ORNAMENTS. ACCORDING TO THE APPLICATION, THE RITUAL WOULD INVOLVE A PROCESSION TO A DISPLAY WITH THE RITUAL LEADER GIVING THE INVOCATION THAT CELEBRATES THE LIGHT AND NIGHT AND THE UNVEILING OF A FLAMELESS LED CANDLE. ULTIMATELY, THE STATE DID DENY THIS EVENT, AND YESTERDAY THE ACLU OF IOWA DID ANNOUNCE IT HAD FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE IOWA OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS ABOUT THE STATE’S DECISION TO CANCEL THIS WINTER CELEBRATION DISPLAYS AND CELEBRATIONS LIKE THE ONE WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AT THE CAPITOL, HELP EDUCATE MORE PEOPLE ABOUT THE SATANIC TEMPLE MEMBERS AND THE VALUES THAT WE EMBRACE. INSTEAD, STATE OFFICIALS HAVE TRIED TO SILENCE US WHILE PROMOTING OTHER, MORE POPULAR RELIGIONS. GOVERNOR REYNOLDS DID SHARE THIS STATEMENT WITH vlog YESTERDAY, SAYING THE CAPITOL COMPLEX IS A PLACE THAT’S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WHERE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN VISIT. SHE SAID IN PART, THIS SATANIC EVENT, WHICH SPECIFICALLY TARGETED CHILDREN WOULD HAVE BEEN HARMFUL TO MINORS. AND SO IT WAS DENIED. WE DID REACH BACK OUT TO OUR OFFICE TODAY TO TRY AND CLARIFY WHICH PART OF THE EVENT THAT THEY DEEMED HARMFU
vlog Investigates: Inside The Satanic Temple Iowa's application for holiday event at State Capitol
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Updated: 5:56 PM CDT Jun 11, 2025
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vlog got a closer look at the application organizers with the Satanic Temple of Iowa submitted to the state for a holiday celebration. The request was for December 2024, but the state argued that it was harmful to minors. vlog Investigates has spent months requesting a copy of that event application. Anyone can submit an application to use common areas of the State Capitol complex as long as it's 30 calendar days before an event. The Satanic Temple of Iowa turned in an application on Oct. 7, 2024, for an event on Dec. 14, 2024.In that application, organizers wrote, "everything will be family-friendly." The itinerary said there would be ritual, Krampus costumes, caroling and other activities such as coloring pages and make-and-take ornaments. According to the application, the ritual would involve a procession to a display, with the ritual leader giving an invocation celebrating the light and night and unveiling a flameless LED candle. Ultimately, the state denied the event. On Tuesday, the ACLU of Iowa announced it had filed a complaint with the Iowa Office of Civil Rights about the state's decision to cancel the winter celebration. Governor Reynolds shared this statement with vlog: "As I've said before, the Iowa State Capitol Complex is a place that is open to the public, where children and families routinely visit. Because of this, the State's event policy takes into consideration conduct that would be harmful to minors. This satanic event, which specifically targeted children, would have been harmful to minors and so it was denied."
DES MOINES, Iowa — vlog got a closer look at the application organizers with the Satanic Temple of Iowa submitted to the state for a holiday celebration. The request was for December 2024, but the state argued that it was harmful to minors. vlog Investigates has spent months requesting a copy of that event application.
Anyone can submit an application to use common areas of the State Capitol complex as long as it's 30 calendar days before an event. The Satanic Temple of Iowa turned in an application on Oct. 7, 2024, for an event on Dec. 14, 2024.
In that application, organizers wrote, "everything will be family-friendly." The itinerary said there would be ritual, Krampus costumes, caroling and other activities such as coloring pages and make-and-take ornaments.
According to the application, the ritual would involve a procession to a display, with the ritual leader giving an invocation celebrating the light and night and unveiling a flameless LED candle. Ultimately, the state denied the event.
On Tuesday, the ACLU of Iowa announced it had filed a complaint with the Iowa Office of Civil Rights about the state's decision to cancel the winter celebration.
Governor Reynolds shared this statement with vlog:
"As I've said before, the Iowa State Capitol Complex is a place that is open to the public, where children and families routinely visit. Because of this, the State's event policy takes into consideration conduct that would be harmful to minors. This satanic event, which specifically targeted children, would have been harmful to minors and so it was denied."
