ACLU of Iowa Takes Legal Action Against Governor Reynolds Over Canceled Satanic Ritual
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa has initiated a lawsuit against Governor Kim Reynolds, claiming her office has denied access to documents concerning the cancellation of a ritual planned by the Satanic Temple of Iowa at the State Capitol.
Filed on behalf of the Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers (IAF), the lawsuit accuses Gov. Reynolds’ administration of breaching the state’s open records law, thereby seeking to compel the release of the pertinent documents.
In December 2024, the Satanic Temple of Iowa had intended to host a winter gathering in the Iowa State Capitol rotunda—a space commonly reserved for festive religious displays, including nativity scenes. As the Des Moines Register reported, the event was set to feature Satanic carols, a Krampus costume contest, and a ritual.
The state’s decision to cancel the event was based on claims that certain elements of the display could be harmful to minors.
“After careful consideration of administrative rule and DAS policy, I determined that the totality of the event request included elements that are harmful to minors and therefore denied the request,” stated Adam Steen, the director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services (DAS), in an official statement.
Gov. Reynolds supported this decision, asserting, “The Iowa State Capitol Complex is a place that is open to the public, where children and families regularly visit. Because of this, the state’s event policy considers conduct that could be harmful to minors. This satanic event, which specifically targets children, is harmful to minors and so it was denied.”
In response to the cancellation, the Satanic Temple took to Facebook, asserting, “Our goal was to promote tolerance and acceptance of diverse religious beliefs, with a theme of finding a light in the darkness and welcoming the darkest nights of the year with joy and camaraderie.”
According to a press release from the ACLU, the IAF had submitted a Freedom of Information Request under the Iowa Open Records Act, seeking “communications and documents in the possession of the Governor’s Office relating to the State of Iowa’s decision to cancel” the event and display.
“The Governor’s Office has refused to produce the requested documents, citing ‘executive privilege,’ despite the fact that the requested materials are clearly non-privileged: an executive agency report and documents related to media preparation,” the press release elaborated. “While some relevant materials were provided, much was redacted. Additionally, the Governor’s Office furnished hundreds of pages of news clippings that referenced the controversy but did not directly address the request.”
Thomas Story, an ACLU staff attorney, commented, “This lawsuit challenges the Governor’s unprecedented claim of ‘executive privilege’ to circumvent Iowa law. For over fifty years, the Iowa Open Records Act has guaranteed transparency in government actions. Now, the Governor’s Office has taken it upon itself to determine what the public can see. The Iowa Constitution does not grant it this authority.”
“The specific documents withheld from public view in this case include an executive agency report from the Department of Administrative Services and several media preparation documents. These are not sensitive matters of national security or foreign diplomacy that have historically been protected under executive privilege. While revealing the Governor’s role in denying a religious group equal access to the state capitol may be embarrassing, it does not justify concealing the rationale behind the decision.”
Notably, the ACLU’s lawsuit was filed just hours after Gov. Reynolds’ office took legal action against the Des Moines Register regarding its public records requests.
As of the time of publication, the governor’s office had not publicly addressed the ACLU lawsuit.
