Southeast
'Satanic Temple' members want to volunteer in Florida schools, but governor's office says it won't happen
Satanists are ready to volunteer in Florida’s schools in response to Governor Ron DeSantis’s push to integrate more religion into the state’s public school system under a volunteer school chaplain program that went into effect last week.
Members of The Satanic Temple (TST) say they are ready to serve as “volunteer chaplains” under a new Florida law that took effect July 1, allowing volunteer school chaplains “to provide support, services, and programs to students,” The Guardian reported.
Lucien Greaves, TST co-founder and spokesperson, told Fox News Digital that should a Florida school district seize on the opportunity to introduce a chaplaincy program into their schools, TST “will be happy to participate.”
Lucien Greaves, a co-founder and spokesman for the Satanic Temple, told Fox News Digital that the group started the after-school program as an alternative to other religious groups that were “proselytizing” to children. (Josh Reynolds for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“When passing the school chaplain bill into law, Florida’s bloviating incompetent Culture War-obsessed governor, Ron DeSantis openly lied to the public and stated that Satanic chaplains would not be allowed,” he told Fox News Digital. “In the depths of his ignorance, he fails to recognize a basic and fundamental constitutional truism: it is no place of the government to dictate that some religions have certain rights over others.”
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After DeSantis signed the law in April, Greaves challenged him to a debate on religious freedom after the governor said satanists specifically would not be allowed to participate under the law as it is his belief it is “not a religion.” But the group argued it would be, as it is recognized as a church by the IRS.
“Some have said that if you do a school chaplain program, that, somehow, you’re going to have satanists running around in all our schools. We’re not playing those games in Florida,” DeSantis assured the crowd. “That is not a religion. That is not qualified to be able to participate in this. So, we’re going to be using common sense when it comes to this. You don’t have to worry about it.”
In response, Greaves told Fox News Digital that the statement shows DeSantis is “speaking from complete ignorance and/or incompetence.”
“We are recognized as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt church, and our religious status was again affirmed by a federal judge in 2020,” he said. “What DeSantis did in proclaiming that we are not a religion was to simply misinform school districts that, if they take him seriously and attempt to abridge our religious freedom, risk opening themselves to legal liability at significant cost.”
“I suspect DeSantis did not care whether what he says from the podium, as long as it sounds good in the moment, and he’s gambling that people will forget it a week later. It will be our job to remind them when Satanic chaplains are in the schools,” he added.
HB 931 requires district school boards and charter school governing boards to assign specified duties to volunteer school chaplains to provide support services and programs for students, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said satanists would not be able to participate in a new State chaplain program being offered to schools, and now Lucien Greaves, co-founder of The Satanic Temple, is challenging him to a debate on religious freedoms. (Getty Images)
Principals of schools with volunteer school chaplains must inform parents of the services and would be required to publish a list of the chaplains on its website. In addition, school districts would require volunteer school chaplains to meet certain background screenings and have written parental consent before students participate or receive the services.
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But, the law largely leaves it up to schools and school districts to determine how chaplain programs are implemented and only requires schools to list a volunteer’s religion, “if any.” DeSantis’ office has stated the goal of the bill is to make resources available, such as counseling from faith leaders for students who may be facing challenges.
“You’re basically saying that God has no place [on campus]. That’s wrong,” DeSantis said of the bill’s signing in April.
When news of TST’s intentions first broke in February, DeSantis Communications Director Bryan Griffin’s response was: “HELL: NO.”
But critics of the bill see it as an overreach of the separation of church and state and TST has threatened to sue the state of Florida if any of its members were banned from serving as chaplains in the program.
Lucien Greaves, spokesman for The Satanic Temple, with a statue of Baphomet at the group’s meeting house in Salem, MA. (Getty Images)
Greaves previously told Fox News Digital the governor has made multiple comments about the organization without any knowledge of who its members are and what they believe. He said the legislation indicates DeSantis is unaware of how the law works and that the bill he signed into law “does in fact allow Satanic chaplains in schools.”
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Despite its name, TST does not believe in the existence of Satan or the supernatural, according to its website. It is non-theistic; in its Frequently Asked Questions of its website, it explicitly says it does not worship Satan.
“The Satanic Temple believes that religion can, and should, be divorced from superstition. As such, we do not promote a belief in a personal Satan,” the website states. “Satan is a symbol of the Eternal Rebel in opposition to arbitrary authority, forever defending personal sovereignty even in the face of insurmountable odds.”
“Satanists should actively work to hone critical thinking and exercise reasonable agnosticism in all things,” it also says on the site. “Our beliefs must be malleable to the best current scientific understandings of the material world — never the reverse.”
“After School Satan Clubs” hosted by TST, have cropped up at schools around the country in recent years, including in states like Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania and California. Greaves has described the kind of activities that the after-school program facilitates, as a self-directed learning process that includes games, solving puzzles and activities, but the program has been met with widespread pushback from parents.
Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
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Dashcam video shows a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper navigating around a protester in Memphis, Tennessee, who appeared to play possum in front of a patrol car, leading the agency to swat down viral claims the man was actually hit.
Video posted to social media by the Tennessee Highway Patrol shows the trooper trying to work his way around a group of protesters. A man who appeared to be one of the protesters walked into frame from behind a white SUV.
The man, wearing a bright orange construction vest and holding a handheld radio, raised his hands and stepped in front of the trooper.
The trooper can be heard on camera shouting, “Move! Get out of my way! Get out of my way! Move!”
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Tennessee Highway Patrol released dashcam video showing a protester grabbing a patrol car and falling, disputing viral claims he was struck during a Memphis protest. (Tennessee Highway Patrol)
Instead, the protester shook his head and raised his index finger as if signaling the trooper to “hold on.”
The protester then grabbed the patrol vehicle’s push bars and fell backward, appearing to act as if he had been hit by the trooper’s vehicle.
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The protester dramatically fell backward while holding on to the patrol car’s push bar. (Tennessee Highway Patrol)
He then pulled himself up, raised his index finger at the trooper once more and walked back to his vehicle.
The video circulated on social media with claims the man was hit by a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper, claims the agency called false.
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The protester popped right back up after falling backward. (Tennessee Highway Patrol)
“We respect and protect the right of people to protest peacefully,” the Tennessee Highway Patrol said. “That right, however, does not include entering active roadways or placing themselves in danger.
“In this case, video clearly shows the individual holding onto the front of the trooper’s vehicle, lying down, then standing back up afterward and leaving the scene under his own power,” the statement continued. “At no point does the video show the individual being run over or injured, despite the narratives circulating on social media.”
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The agency added that its priority is public safety for protesters, motorists and troopers.
“When someone enters the roadway, it creates a serious and immediate risk, and troopers are trained to respond to prevent injuries or worse outcomes,” the agency added.
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South Carolina Republican lawmakers have introduced a new bill that would criminalize abortion as murder, applying existing homicide and wrongful death laws from the moment of conception.
The Prenatal Equal Protection Act, introduced in the South Carolina House of Representatives, would be the strongest anti-abortion law in state history if enacted. The legislation has been scheduled for a hearing in the South Carolina House Constitutional Laws Subcommittee on Wednesday.
Supporters argue current heartbeat laws merely regulate abortion and still allow the procedure in certain cases, prompting Republican state Sen. Lee Bright to introduce the legislation as a way to extend full legal protections to unborn children.
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The South Carolina State House is seen in Columbia, South Carolina, where lawmakers are considering the Prenatal Equal Protection Act, a bill that would treat abortion as a homicide under state law. (LOGAN CYRUS/AFP via Getty Images)
“These children deserve equal protection. I will be filing a bill of equal protection today. I know we’ve got hearts and minds to change,” Bright said Tuesday at a press conference at the South Carolina State House.
South Carolina State Representative Rob Harris said that in 2023, the Legislature and the Governor revised the heartbeat law that regulates abortion and still allows the procedure under certain circumstances.
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South Carolina Sen. Lee Bright, R-Roebuck, spoke at a news conference about an abortion bill he is sponsoring on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
“Incredibly, in one section of that bill, it asserts that life begins at conception, but in another section, it writes into law where, when, and how someone may legally murder a baby in South Carolina,” Harris said.
The legislation would apply to all parties involved, including the pregnant woman.
Republicans hold large majorities in both chambers of the South Carolina General Assembly, meaning the bill could pass if GOP lawmakers remain unified. But similar abortion legislation has previously stalled amid divisions within the GOP, raising questions about whether the bill can advance.
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A November bill sought to further restrict abortion under existing law but stalled after some Republicans objected. The Prenatal Equal Protection Act goes much further, treating abortion as homicide from the moment of conception and applying criminal penalties, including for pregnant women — a shift supporters say is necessary to fully eliminate abortion.
Supporters argue the earlier bill failed because it regulated abortion rather than abolishing it, and say incremental restrictions have repeatedly stalled or been struck down, leaving a full equal-protection approach as the only lasting solution.
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A protester held a sign during a news conference on an abortion bill at the South Carolina Statehouse on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
The new bill is backed by national anti-abortion activists who have warned Republican lawmakers they could face primary challenges if they do not support it.
Critics are expected to raise concerns about criminal penalties, enforcement and constitutional issues.
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Southeast
Trans athlete’s lawyer avoids questions about West Virginia AG’s comments about sexual harassment allegations
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American Civil Liberties Union attorney Joshua Block walked away from questions regarding a recent statement by West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey addressing allegations of harassment against Block’s client, a transgender athlete from West Virginia.
McCuskey, who is leading his state’s legal defense against the trans athlete after the athlete sued to block the state’s law to keep biological males out of girls’ sports, addressed the allegations at a news conference Monday.
“Any time you think of a child being harassed, it gives you pause as a parent. And it isn’t really part of our case, but harassment of any child of any kind in this country is inappropriate. And it’s wrong, and we all need to stand up to ensure that children aren’t being harassed in any of their venues, particularly athletics,” McCuskey said.
Fox News Digital attempted to question Block about McCuskey’s statement after oral arguments for the case in the Supreme Court Tuesday, but Block walked away from the first wave of questioning to take a picture with his team and client.
After the photo op, Fox News Digital again pursued Block to inquire about McCuskey’s statement, but Block again walked away from the questions with assistants surrounding him.
The allegations were leveled against the trans athlete by Bridgeport High School student Adaleia Cross, who was a track and field teammate of the trans athlete when the two were at Bridgeport Middle School.
Cross’ mother, Abby, told Fox News Digital what the trans athlete allegedly said to her daughter when they shared the girls’ locker room during the 2022-23 school year. Adaleia was in eighth grade, and the trans athlete was in seventh. Abby Cross alleges the trans athlete made graphic and vulgar sexual threats to her daughter and other girls on the team.
The trans athlete’s legal representatives at the American Civil Liberties Union denied the allegations.
“Our client and her mother deny these allegations, and the school district investigated the allegations reported to the school by A.C. and found them to be unsubstantiated. We remain committed to defending the rights of all students under Title IX, including the right to a safe and inclusive learning environment free from harassment and discrimination,” an ACLU statement provided to Fox News Digital said.
The Cross family’s attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) responded to the ACLU’s statement.
“Our client has sworn under oath and under penalty of perjury in numerous cases about the events that took place between her and the male athlete. As a result of the situation, [Cross] had to step away from the sport she loved entirely and sacrifice a key element of her school experience to protect herself,” an ADF statement provided to Fox News Digital said.
The trans athlete personally denied the allegations to The New York Times in a story published Monday.
“I was not raised like that,” the athlete said.
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The outlet obtained a letter from the Harrison County School District, stating an investigation determined Cross’ allegations “could not be substantiated.”
The Cross family said when they reported the alleged harassment to the school, nothing was done to reprimand the trans athlete to their knowledge.
“They told me they would do a full investigation into what I told them,” Adaleia said. “And then, all of a sudden, it was like nothing else was happening. It was done, and it seemed like they thought nothing of it because they didn’t talk to us about it at all. They just left it there and didn’t tell us anything else. So, it just made it seem like, ‘Yup it’s done.’”
Her father, Holden Cross, said, “We received no response from the school after filing the report.”
Fox News Digital made repeated requests to the ACLU and the Harrison County School District, which oversees Bridgeport Middle School and Bridgeport High School, seeking documentation related to the school’s investigation and clarification on whether an investigation occurred and, if so, why only the Cross family was not notified of the results. Those requests have not been met.
Meanwhile, former Lincoln Middle School girls track and field runner Emmy Salerno alleges the trans athlete used “intimidation tactics” against her after Salerno refused to compete against the trans athlete during an event in the 2024 spring season.
Salerno’s protest came on April 18, 2024, when she and the trans athlete were in eighth grade. Salerno, along with four other girls, refused to compete in the girls shot put competition that day at a local meet. Salerno claims her team was disqualified from the following meet and then began to face intimidating stares from the trans athlete at public events.
“After we stepped out, it was an immediate personality change. He didn’t want to talk to me. He just wanted to stare at me and just stare down,” Salerno told Fox News Digital.
Salerno has also provided Fox News Digital a screenshot of a Snapchat post, which appeared to be sent by the trans athlete, showing a photo of Salerno with a caption that says, “Reminder that she has more testosterone than me.”
Salerno said there was an incident in which the trans athlete followed her while they were at a local basketball game, making intimidating stares, and Salerno was concerned the trans athlete would try to “fight” her.
“At the basketball game when he just followed me everywhere, I kind of felt like, ‘Is he gonna try to fight me?’” Salerno said. “‘Is he going to try and sneak up behind me and punch me?’”
Salerno and her father say they believe the stares, following patterns and social media posts were “intimidation tactics,” and there have been “lingering discomforts” stemming from the situation.
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Protesters gather outside the Supreme Court as it hears arguments over state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)
“I’ve always tried to avoid him everywhere I went,” Salerno added.
The ACLU has not responded to Fox News Digital’s request for a response to Salerno’s allegations.
Salerno said she avoided competing against the trans athlete the following season, but rather than making a public protest, she told her coach not to include her in the lineup for the meets against the trans athlete to avoid a penalty to the team.
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Salerno claims she has also heard other girls in the community speak about the sexual harassment allegations made by Cross against the trans athlete. Salerno said she has never been in a locker room or bathroom with the trans athlete.
“Around track season, it gets more talked about,” Salerno said of the sexual harassment allegations. “I heard through my school, people were talking about it.”
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