Federal judge orders Iowa to allow Satanic Temple to hold holiday event in the State Capitol

DES MOINES, Iowa — A federal judge on Monday ordered Iowa state officials to allow a local Satanic Temple organization to hold a holiday event in the rotunda of the State Capitol after years of rejecting its application.

The court order is the latest in a back-and-forth between the religious organization and Republican state officials, who intend to appeal the federal judge’s decision, according to Attorney General Brenna Bird’s office. Iowa’s Republican leaders have barred the Satanic Temple Iowa's holiday observances in recent years, citing the Capitol building’s policies that prohibit gratuitous violence and obscene displays.

The Satanic Temple and the leader of its Iowa organization in August sued the state in federal court, arguing that current and former Iowa officials discriminated against their religion by repeatedly refusing to permit their holiday event and violated their constitutional rights and state law.

Chief District Judge Stephanie M. Rose said in her order that the Satanic Temple was likely to succeed on its free speech claim and ordered the current director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services to approve the group’s application for a holiday event within seven days.

Founded in 2013, the Salem, Massachusetts-based Satanic Temple says it doesn’t believe…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business