Rock Island Today

Moline-based Jane Addams Elementary received a shout out on Twitter regarding its After School Satan Club. 

Children from grades 1 to 5 can attend, regardless of religious background according to a promotional material.  

“I’m not saying that we are in the Matrix… but an Illinois elementary school offers an after-school Satan club. Sam Smith would approve,” Mythinformed MKE posted on Twitter and included a 2022 flyer announcing the club. 

The post elicited several responses. “How is this any different than promoting/teaching Christianity in a public school?” Peter Bills said. 

Rock Island Today first revealed the club’s existence in 2022. The club met once per month in spring 2022. It is unclear if it is operational now. The club was announced via a flyer posted at the school. “Hey Kids, let’s have fun at After School Satan Club! Science Projects! Puzzles & Games! Arts and Craft Projects! Nature Activities!” the flyer reads.

At the time, Moline-Coal Valley School District defended renting space to the club in a statement saying it had allowed similar clubs from Christian groups in the past. “The district does not discriminate against any groups who wish to rent our facilities, including religious-affiliated groups. Religiously affiliated groups are among those allowed to rent our facilities for a fee,” the school district said, KWQC TV6 News reported. “The district has, in the past, approved these types of groups, one example being the Good News Club, which is an after-school child evangelism fellowship group. Flyers and promotional materials for these types of groups are approved for lobby posting or display only, and not for mass distribution.”

The club is being sponsored by The Satanic Temple which has similar clubs in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Pensacola, Washington, D.C., Tucson, Springfield, Missouri, Seattle, and Portland. The programming was created in 2016 to counter after school Christian clubs. “The After School Satan Club does not believe in introducing religion into public schools and will only open a club if other religious groups are operating on campus,” the Satanic Temple noted on its website regarding the clubs. “ASSC exists to provide a safe and inclusive alternative to the religious clubs that use threats of eternal damnation to convert school children to their belief system. Unlike our counterparts, who publicly measure their success in young children's "professions of faith," the After School Satan Club program focuses on science, critical thinking, creative arts, and good works for the community. While engaged in all of these activities,  we want clubgoers to have a good time.”