Dont ComplyAccording to Reason, Chief U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose on November 2 ordered the director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to approve The Satanic Temple's application for a December 12 holiday event in the Iowa Capitol Rotunda. Reason reports that DAS first denied the group's application in 2024 because a planned Krampus costume contest could be considered "harmful to minors." The group, represented by the ACLU of Iowa, sued in August, alleging DAS officials violated its First and 14th Amendment rights. Rose found the First Amendment challenge likely to succeed, writing that excluding Krampus costumes targets "a perspective on the holiday rather than the holiday itself." She also noted DAS "never looked into whether the sticks posed any real danger." Reason did not report a response from DAS. The ruling is a preliminary injunction.
Why it matters
The order, as reported, found that a state agency's denial of a religious group's event application likely violated the First Amendment. It is a preliminary ruling, and state officials could appeal.
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