Florida’s governor says Satanism is ‘not real’ as he signs bill

Left: FILE – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gestures during a press conference on January 26, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File). Right: the Satanic Temple logo. (Satanic Temple website.)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis may have just prepared himself for a fight from hell over the First Amendment.

Last week, the Republican governor signed two bills into law known as HB 1317 and HB 931, legislation first introduced by Republicans in the Florida statehouse in January and December, respectively.

HB 1317 urged voluntary representation of “patriotic organizations” in elementary schools and HB 931 specifically urged approval of volunteer chaplains’ admission to public schools. For advocates, the bills, as written, were an opportunity for “patriotic organizations to speak to students, distribute certain materials, and provide opportunities for certain displays related to the patriotic organizations,” among other purposes.

Some of those “patriotic organizations” included the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, as well as Boy Scouts of America and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Marine Corps League, the Navy SEAL Cadet Corps and others, a statement from the office from the governor’s notes.

By law, parents may select a volunteer chaplain from a Florida school district list. The list must include any religious beliefs of a chaplain. Chaplains will also be assigned by the district school board or charter school board.

However, critics and opponents believe that the chaplain bill in particular is an unconstitutional end to the separation of church and state and violates the religious freedom rights of families and students across Florida.

The American Civil Liberties Union noted in a statement last month, before DeSantis signed the bills, that chaplains are often not trained or certified to provide educational or counseling services to youth.

“Students are likely not receiving adequate mental health care, which can be harmful in some cases,” the organization said.

And they were far from alone in their opposition: the ACLU was joined by 200 chaplains, 34 civil rights organizations, and nearly 40 faith groups representing Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and other faith traditions.

When Republican Sen. Erin Grall of Florida spoke about the bill last week before it passed, the Tallahassee Democrat reported that she welcomed it but at the same time seemed concerned about how it might function if, for example, the Satanic Temple had its own volunteer would like to send. chaplains to schools.

Grall reportedly noted, “I think once we get into the business of defining what religion is and what it isn’t, and whether or not someone can be available and on a list, we start to run into constitutional issues. ”

And to that very possible end, DeSantis told everyone watching at a press conference last week as he signed the bills:

Some have said that if you go through a school chaplaincy program, there will somehow be Satanists in all our schools. We don’t play those games in Florida. That (Satanism) is not a religion. That does not qualify you to participate.

But the Satanic Temple, whether DeSantis realizes it or not, is recognized as a tax-exempt church, and just as Grall suggested, debating whether a particular belief is real or not is a tricky issue .

Before the law was passed, the Satanic Temple said it fully anticipated participating in Florida’s school chaplain program. They told the Tallahassee Democrat that “any opportunity that exists for ministers or chaplains in the public sector should not discriminate on the basis of religious affiliation.”

According to the Satanic Temple website, practitioners “do not believe in the existence of Satan or the supernatural” and “do not promote belief in a personal Satan.”

Satanic Temple co-founder Lucien Greaves told Law&Crime in an email on Monday: “DeSantis has not only exposed himself to First Amendment liabilities when he tries to choose which religions are worthy of religious accommodation, but by declaring during a press conference — after signing the bill — that Satanists should not participate, he has exposed that he does not understand the chaplain bill, the law, or the limits of his authority as governor.”

“We are not going to stop the legislation, we are going to benefit from it,” Greaves also said. “We are going to put satanic chaplains in Florida schools, nothing in the bill sets limits on who can become a chaplain, and Ron DeSantis cannot simply amend the Constitution by restricting the religious freedom of some by proclamation from the podium. I have offered to debate this issue with DeSantis, which is not a matter of personal opinion but of procedural fact. He is clearly and undeniably wrong and exposes his gross incompetence,” Greaves said.

Similar bills in other states are facing similar opposition, and not just from members of the Satanic Temple. As Texas NBC affiliate KXAN reported last month, a large number of protesters showed up in the state capitol in Austin to oppose similar legislation that would allow unlicensed chaplains to serve students in the Lone Star State.

In Florida, the only criteria for school chaplains would be passing a background check. No training is required by law. The law comes into effect on July 1.

DeSantis’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

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