A satanic group convinced a southeastern Pennsylvania school district to drop its dress code rule banning clothing with satanic or cultic references, PhillyVoice reported.
What are the details?
The Garnet Valley School District in Delaware County got rid of the rule at the beginning of the school year after Satanic Delco waged a months-long campaign, the outlet said.
The group posted on Instagram about its victory earlier this month:
Satanic Delco noted in its post that prior to dropping the ban, Garnet Valley “didn’t want to change the policy because they feared the backlash and bad press they would receive for caving to a group of Satanists. I’m happy to report that they have in fact caved.”
The group added that “Garnet Valley students are now free to express their Satanism on equal footing, alongside their fellow students of every other religion” and ended the post with a hearty “HAIL SATAN!” exclamation in all capital letters.
Philly Voice said the school district did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Satanic Delco also noted in the post that last year it “succeeded in forcing a change to the discriminatory dress code in the Rose Tree Media School District. As documented in the original news report, the next target for such a change was the Garnet Valley school district.”
PhillyVoice said Satanic Delco doesn’t actually worship the devil or believe Satan exists.
“We believe that religion can, and should, be divorced from superstition,” the group says on its website. “As such, we do not promote a belief in a personal Satan. To embrace the name Satan is to embrace rational inquiry removed from supernaturalism and archaic tradition-based superstitions. Satanists should actively work to hone critical thinking and exercise reasonable agnosticism in all things. Our beliefs must be malleable to the best current scientific understandings of the material world — never the reverse.”
How are folks reacting?
PhillyVoice commenters overall seemed supportive of Satanic Delco’s efforts:
- “Can’t have it both ways,” one commenter wrote. “Satanism is a religion, too, can’t just have Christians bringing their religion into public schools. If you do not want Satanists in school you can’t have any religion in school. Now bring on the Wiccans and Pagans!”
- “Darn that pesky First Amendment!” another commenter exclaimed.
- “Teachers used to beat the Hell out of kids. Now they have to let them wear the Mark of the Devil. Progress!” another commenter noted.
Here’s a news report about the group getting the Rose Tree Media School District — also in Delaware County — to alter its dress code:
Satanists convince school district to alter dress code youtu.be
This story has been updated.