The Kansas school board’s controversial dress code is getting a real shakeup.
Satanic organization the Satanic Temple asked to be represented by the Kansas Press Association. It filed an application for freedom of speech saying the school district code was “ageist, ethnocentric, and ineffective.”
Friday, a judge ruled in its favor.
“My belief in free speech and open forums holds for public schools, not only private institutions that seek to silence us,” the creator of the Satanic Temple told KAKE-TV.
This ruling by Judge Patrick Buhl called the school board’s code “opaque, confusing, confusingly worded, and outdated.”
But it still defines decency according to the Satanic Temple. It found a 13-year-old cheerleader, some kind of supernatural boogeyman, and some teen idol on the teevee.
“We have received reports of grades getting lowered, there have been threats of suspension, and in one case a girl was denied lunch because the offended parents complained. The consequence of our rejection by the district has been the exclusion of students from meeting with their school counselors,” said Lead attorney of the Satanic Temple, Lucien Greaves.
The decision does not specifically address the central theme of the Satanic Temple’s activities: that the world is a very, very naughty place.
“If our members thought we were practicing a style of church different from their own they wouldn’t be asking us to represent them. Our mission is to provide a forum for anyone, regardless of belief, to express their beliefs,” Greaves said.
And the students are pleased with the ruling.
“I’m really grateful. I didn’t think it would ever happen like this,” said a student.
“I know it’s definitely pretty random because I’m only in the fourth grade,” said another student.
The Kansas town responded by saying it doesn’t believe in judgement. It just believes in traditional values.
