Satanist group will participate in Oklahoma public schools chaplaincy program if approved

A Satanist group wants to send its "Ministers of Satan" into Oklahoma public schools should a chaplaincy bill become law in the state.

Senate Bill 36 would authorize public school districts across Oklahoma to welcome faith-based chaplains as hired staff or as volunteers to provide support, services and programs for students. SB36 is advancing through the Oklahoma State Legislature, after being approved last week by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The bill is similar to a law passed in 2023 in Texas. Before the House voted on the measure, an amendment aimed at preventing chaplains from proselytizing was made, along with an amendment adding educational requirements for them.

The Satanic Temple weighing in on SB36 has been part of the debate over similar chaplaincy bills in other states like Utah and Florida, where elected leaders have balked at the idea of Satanists providing support services for students.

Lucien Greaves, co-founder of The Satanic Temple has said he did not believe the supporters of chaplain bills when they said that faith-based chaplains won't proselytize in schools, but Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, the House sponsor for SB36, said in a statement that chaplains will not be allowed to proselytize and school districts and parents will have control over who will be allowed in schools as a chaplain.

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"The beauty of this bill is that it allows the school district discretion over whether to hire a chaplain, and the parent, student or educator can then decide whether this service is right for them," West said in his recent statement.

In announcing The Satanic Temple's plans to have its ministers potentially join the ranks of public school chaplains, Rachel Chambliss, the group's executive director of operations, said the organization is a federally recognized religious organization dedicated to religious plurality and community service.

In a news release, she described the potential for Satanic Temple ministers to be among taxpayer-funded chaplains in Oklahoma public schools a "groundbreaking initiative for equal religious representation."

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"SB 36 offers an unprecedented opportunity for our Ministers of Satan to join the state workforce,” Chambliss said.

The Satanic Temple leader said she would prefer that states invest in professional counselors over unlicensed religious support for students, but "we are prepared to adapt to these legislative conditions,” Chambliss said in a news release.

"We are committed to offering compassionate guidance to students who come to us so that we can help make positive changes in their lives by listening to their needs and providing support."

In a previous interview, Johnny Davis with the National School Chaplain Association, questioned the validity of The Satanic Temple as a religious organization. Davis is chief development officer for the Norman-based Christian chaplain association which certifies school chaplains by requiring them to go through an Oral Roberts University training program and pass safety training.

As a supporter of SB36, he has said his organization helped Texas legislators to successfully pass a chaplaincy bill in their state in 2023, and the organization is working with Oklahoma legislators attempting to get SB36 passed in the state.

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The Satanic Temple has weighed in on Oklahoma politics before

The Satanic Temple is no stranger to Oklahoma politics.

In 2014, the organization said it would install a 7-foot-tall statue of Satan as Baphomet if the state allowed a Ten Commandments monument to be placed on the grounds of the Capitol. The group's plans stirred controversy when it unveiled designs for the statue — Baphomet as a goat-headed demon with horns, wings and a long beard.

In 2023, the group said it looked forward to starting its own virtual charter school with taxpayer funding after the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved the Catholic Church in Oklahoma's plan to establish St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, the first taxpayer-funded religious school in the U.S. The school, which is currently enrolling students, is the subject of a court case currently being considered by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Greaves has said The Satanic Temple members are not worshippers of the Satan described in the Bible, but rather they are proponents of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment which prohibits the government from establishing a religion.

Still, in their news release, the group's leaders said they think the potential for the organization's Ministers of Satan to be involved in public schools led to the defeat of a chaplain bill in Utah.

In his statement, West said SB36 is ultimately an effort to support Oklahoma school students, teachers and administrators.

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He said public school students face "myriad stressors from trying to do well in their coursework, manage homework and extracurricular activities," plus "peer pressure, bullying, social media and other daily bombardments."

"Chaplains have been very helpful in other high-stress environments such as the military and for first responders," Moore said.

"They do not share their personal religious beliefs, nor do they replace others such as a school guidance counselor. Rather, they are just one more advocate to help a student or an educator process school and life."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Satanic Temple to have its ministers available to be school chaplains