Full Breakdown
Iowa Lawsuit Alleges Religious Discrimination Against The Satanic Temple
8/16/2026, 4:04:21 AM
Core Event: Federal Suit Targets Capitol Holiday-Event Denials
On August 13, 2026, the ACLU of Iowa filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa on behalf of The Satanic Temple and minister Mortimer Adramelech. The suit names the Iowa Department of Administrative Services (DAS), its director Mark Campbell and former director Adam Steen as defendants and alleges violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments, the Iowa Civil Rights Act and the Iowa Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Plaintiffs seek a declaration that the state’s actions are unconstitutional, a preliminary injunction allowing a holiday event in the Capitol rotunda this December, and compensatory damages and attorneys’ fees.
Background & Context
The dispute stems from a December 2023 holiday display that placed a Baphomet statue in the Capitol rotunda alongside a Christian nativity scene. After the display was vandalized, DAS changed its policy to limit multiday events and to allow only one event per organization per year. The Satanic Temple’s applications for holiday events in 2024, 2025 and 2026 were denied or left pending. The Temple offered to make the sticks decorative and described the events as family-friendly activities such as caroling and make-and-take ornaments.
Key Figures
- Rita Bettis Austen – ACLU of Iowa legal director, lead plaintiff counsel.
- Adam Steen – Former DAS director, defended the denials.
- Mark Campbell – Current DAS director, named defendant.
- Matt Kezhaya – General counsel for The Satanic Temple.
- Mortimer Adramelech – Temple minister, plaintiff.
Timeline
- December 2023 – Baphomet display installed and vandalized.
- 2024 – First holiday-event application denied; DAS cited safety concerns over Krampus costumes.
- 2025 – Application denied without explanation.
- 2026 – Application pending for 159 days when the lawsuit was filed on August 13.
Data & Statistics
- The 2026 application had been pending for 159 days.
- The 2025 denial was issued without an explanation.
- A 2025 Tier 1 investigative report from the Iowa Office of Civil Rights found probable cause that DAS and the governor’s office discriminated against the Temple’s 2024 request.
- The Temple incurred costs for alternative venues; the ACLU seeks compensatory damages but not punitive damages.
Official Statements & Responses
The ACLU notes that a 2024 civil-rights complaint resulted in a probable-cause finding and that the Temple exhausted state administrative remedies before turning to federal court. Governor Kim Reynolds’ office declined to comment, citing executive privilege.
Criticism & Opposition
Steen framed the denial as a defense of “Iowa’s culture and values.” Temple counsel Matt Kezhaya responded that the organization opposes harming children.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We've brought this case to uphold our core principles of free speech and religious exercise that we all hold dear, and to require the state, as it must, to come back in line with these constitutional and statutory requirements of religious freedom and non-discrimination,” — Rita Bettis Austen, ACLU of Iowa
- “Krampus, whose sole purpose in life … is to beat children with sticks and take them to hell. That’s not happening on my watch,” — Adam Steen
- “No part of that would involve beating children under any circumstances,” — Matt Kezhaya
- “When the state makes the public space in the Capitol Rotunda available for these religious holiday events — for example, a Christmas event or a Hanukkah event — it cannot then deny that same right to other religious groups that it disfavors,” — Rita Bettis Austen
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The lack of documented reasons creates a factual gap that the plaintiffs argue demonstrates pretextual discrimination.
What’s Next
The complaint asks the court for a preliminary injunction ordering DAS to approve the pending holiday event this December and for an order requiring the department to process future applications without discrimination. The case remains pending.
