MARYSVILLE, Ohio — A public elementary school will begin offering a religious release program for students sponsored by the Satanic Temple, reportedly in response to a Christian program already established in the school system.
Hellion Academy of Independent Learning (HAIL) begins this month at Edgewood Elementary School in Marysville, according to a Facebook post from the Satanic Temple. Students can attend the program once a month during school hours but off the school campus.
An ordained minister with the Satanic Temple, the only Satanic religious organization recognized as a church by the IRS and federal courts, tells WCMH Channel 4 that a parent approached the group and asked for HAIL to be offered at the school.
The minister, June Everett, tells WCMH that HAIL is only offered when requested and only at schools where other religious programs already are established.
LifeWise Academy, an Ohio-based program operating in 200 schools in Ohio, is offered at Edgewood Elementary School, WCMH reports. LifeWise removes participating students from schools for 55 minutes once per week to study the Bible.
The parent requested HAIL as an alternative to LifeWise, Everett tells WCMH. “We aren’t trying to shut the LifeWise Academy down, but I do think a lot of school districts don’t realize when they open the door for one religion, they open it for all of them,” Everett said.
Everett says HAIL focuses on ideals such as acting with compassion and empathy, pursuit of justice, respecting others’ freedoms, and aligning beliefs with scientific facts.
“We are not devil worshipers,” Everett tells WOSU. “Different Satanists across the United States will give you different answers depending on how they personally believe. But as a whole, we are non-theistic, meaning we don’t believe in any supernatural deities and that includes, you know, God or Satan.”
Joel Penton, the CEO of LifeWise, said in a statement to WOSU that he believes the establishment of HAIL at Marysville shows that the state legislature should pass a proposed bill to give school districts “greater clarity” on religious release programs.
“LifeWise isn’t fearful of other organizations offering (released time religious instruction),” Penton said in the statement. “We believe all families should have the opportunity to choose religious study during school hours and we trust parents to make the best choice for their children.”
Despite the popularity of LifeWise in Ohio, there has been some pushback from school districts. In October, board members for Westerville City Schools voted, 4-0, to end the policy allowing the release of students for the program. Board members say they were concerned about liability issues and about disrupting the school day for students.