Mississippi man charged with vandalizing Satanic Temple's display inside Iowa Capitol building
A Mississippi man has been charged with criminal mischief for allegedly vandalizing the Satanic Temple of Iowa's Baphomet display in the Capitol building Thursday.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety says 35-year-old Michael Cassidy of Lauderdale, Mississippi, was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. He has since been released.
"I would never do that to somebody else's property, and I don't think it's right that other people, based on their beliefs, think that they can do that just because they don't like it," said Jessica Cornish-Tilstra, who drove three-and-a-half hours with her daughter in-part to see the display.
Cornish-Tilsa tells vlog she feels that the display is a form of inclusion, especially during this time of the year when there's more than one holiday.
Earlier this month, the Satanic Temple of Iowa set up the display, which features a ram's head covered with mirrors on a mannequin cloaked in red clothing, as a symbol of their right to religious freedom, according to co-founder Lucien Greaves.
Temple leaders intended to take down the display Friday morning.
They posted the following message to the :
“This morning, we were informed by authorities that the Baphomet statue in our holiday display was destroyed beyond repair. We are proud to continue our holiday display for the next few days that we have been allotted.
"We ask that for safety, visitors travel together and use the 7 Tenets as a reminder for empathy, in the knowledge that justice is being pursued the correct way, through legal means.
"Solve et Coagula! Happy Holidays! Hail Satan!”
The display has drawn scorn from Gov. Kim Reynolds, who called it "absolutely objectionable," and Republican lawmakers, including one who is pushing for a ban on satanic displays on state-owned property.
Shellie Flockhart, who organized a prayer group opposing the display last week, tells vlog she didn't agree with the display being there but understands that everyone has a right to free speech.
"To me, it felt harassing," said Flockhart, who says she's since received backlash following the prayer group last week. "That entire thing felt like it was an attack on our State, on our legislators, on our governor."
Flockhart says she feels like Cassidy is up for Iowa and the nation.
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What is the Satanic Temple?
Founded in 2013, the Salem, Massachusetts-based Satanic Temple doesn’t believe in Satan but that advocates for secularism. It is separate from the Church of Satan, which was founded in the 1960s.
Who is Michael Cassidy?
Michael Cassidy, 35, of Lauderdale, Mississippi, was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief for allegedly vandalizing the display, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said Friday. He was released after his arrest.
Cassidy is a Republican running for a seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives. The biography on his says he served as a Navy fighter pilot and a pilot instructor. He describes himself as a “Christian conservative who loves our nation and is committed to preserving the blessings of liberty bestowed upon us by the Founding generation.”
The display caught Cassidy’s attention earlier this week. On Tuesday, he reposted a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, that included two photos — one of a Thomas Jefferson statue being removed from an unspecified location, and one of the Satanic Temple display.
“We have reached the point where our Capitols are removing Jefferson while monuments to Satan are erected,” the message read.
A fund was set up to raise money for Cassidy’s legal defense following his arrest. After $20,000 was raised, Cassidy .
But late Friday morning, that he had “been notified of more potential legal charges unfortunately, so I’ve opened the legal fund donation back up.”
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.