Last May, I wrote about the hullabaloo caused by the proposal to form an After School Satan Club, open to children ages 5 to 12, in the Northern York School District in south-central Pennsylvania.

Although there are only a handful of such clubs in the United States, a new one was close to coming to our area. Not surprisingly, a similar outcry started in the Saucon Valley School District in Northampton County when the plans were announced last week.

Immediately after Superintendent Jaime Vlasaty confirmed that the organization had leased space in the middle school near Hellertown, the district canceled classes last Wednesday because of a credible unspecified threat from an unidentified male.

The chaos that this caused has prompted Vlasaty to rescind the decision, saying that the organization sponsoring the proposed club had not met the district’s requirements and that the disruption poses a danger to the safety and welfare of students and district personnel. The issue is sure to provoke a lively discussion at tomorrow night’s school board meeting.

Originally, Vlasaty explained that the district cannot forbid the organization from leasing space just as it cannot discriminate against any other religious organization wishing to do the same.

She pointed to the 2001 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that held if one religious group is allowed to use a facility, it must be made available to all religious groups.

The Northern York School Board defied the court ruling by voting 8-1 against the club, even though it had permitted a Christian group to use school facilities for after-school meetings. An overflow crowd applauded the board’s push back, saying, in effect, if we can’t have God/Jesus in our schools, we sure as hell are not going to invite Satan/the devil in. The Satanic Club, parent organization of the After School Satan Club, filed suit against the district, claiming that its decision was arbitrary and discriminatory. Last August, school administrators did allow the Satanic Temple to host a back-to-school night at the Northern York High School in Dillsburg.

The Saucon Valley club would have been the first in Pennsylvania, one of 10 in the country.

Vlasaty sent the original note from school officials to parents last week which said, “Consistent with the law and criteria set out in board policy and regulations, the district has approved an organization known as the ‘After School Satan Club’ to host gatherings after school hours, in the Saucon Valley Middle School.”

According to June Everett, the After School Satan Club’s national campaign director, clubs are formed only after being invited by a parent in a district. The parent who made the request in the Saucon Valley district has requested anonymity for fear of being harassed or harmed.

“We are not worshippers,” Everett said. “We do not believe in a supernatural Satan. We look to Satan as a symbol of standing up against tyrannical authority.” She also said that the club is a counterpoint to Good News Clubs, which are Christian-based. Such a club has been renting space in the Saucon Valley district for years, according to informed sources at the district.

Despite its name, Lucien Greaves, the group’s co-founder and spokesperson, said that the program does not teach Satanism nor does it proselytize to convert members. Instead, he said, it teaches rationalism and understanding.

Maybe I’m missing something, but any organization that has “Satan” in its title, then professes that it has nothing to do with “Satanism” must think that we are idiots. That’s like saying, “I’m a member of the National Rifle Association, but we have nothing to do with guns.”

The status of the Good News Club, which the After-School Satan Club hopes to neutralize, was confirmed in a 2001 U.S. Supreme Court case - Good News Club v. Milford Central School District (Milford, New York). In its decision, the court ruled that a government that operates a “limited public forum” may not discriminate against speech that takes place within that forum on the basis of the viewpoints expressed.

In rescinding permission to use the Saucon Valley facilities, Vlasaty posted a message Friday which said, “The gravity of feelings of instability, anxiety and fear has been profound. Aside from my decision, I implore the Saucon Valley community to eliminate threatening, hateful and divisive language and behavior and make a commitment to support our students and reinforce the values of our community.’’

There has been no decision yet on whether the organization will appeal the decision.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.