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'After-school Satan club' could potentially come to a York County elementary school

The Satanic Temple is working to bring the "After School Satan Club" to Northern Elementary in York County.

YORK COUNTY, Pa. — "They already took God out of schools now they're going to let Satan in, it's just crazy," said Jennifer McAllister, a Perry County resident.

Parents across Central PA are expressing their outrage over the "After School Satan Club."

"Anything that has to deal with worshipping Satan is bad news," said Michael Tichnell, Operations Manager  at New Hope Ministries.

The After School Satan Club is a program offered by the Satanic Temple.

There are currently four of these programs operating in the country including in Ohio and Indiana.

Pennsylvania could be their next landing spot at the Northern Elementary School.

"We believe that Satan is a great metaphor for rebellion against tyranny and is the embodiment of all of the values we espouse," Lucien Greaves, Co-Founder of The Satanic Temple, explained.

According Satanic Temple co-founder Lucien Greaves—a couple of parents in the Northern York School District asked him to start the program.

He says it is designed for kids aged 5-14 with a mission "to promote self-directed education by supporting the intellectual and creative interests of students."

"The curriculum focuses on the scientific way of thinking to reach solutions like I said, as a non-theistic religion we don't advocate for supernatural ways of view," he said.

While Greaves says this isn't an organization that worships Satan or promotes any sort of religion, one mother says that isn't an excuse for a program like this.

"Once they open the doors if it gets approved, even though it's not my school district, now you're opening the doors for all school districts to allow this," McAllister said.

On Tuesday, the Northern York County School District board will vote on the approval of this program, an agenda item Greaves says the board doesn't have control of.

"If they deny us the use of a public facility, which they have no right to do it'll have to move into litigation, costly litigation that the community is going to have to pay for," he explained.

Greaves believes the board's vote on the matter is unconstitutional, citing a 2001 Supreme Court ruling that allowed religious groups to meet at public schools.  

Either way, there are plenty of people not on board.

"It puts a bad taste in your mouth just from the get-go with the name," said Ed King, a Northern York County resident.

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