The Iowa Office of Civil Rights (IOCR) has determined that The Satanic Temple’s (TST) discrimination complaint regarding the blocking of its 2024 holiday display at the Iowa Capitol “warrants further investigation,” allowing the case to move forward.
Filed in June by the ACLU of Iowa on TST’s behalf, the administrative complaint alleges that former Iowa Department of Administrative Services director and current gubernatorial candidate Adam Steen, along with the Governor’s Office, improperly denied the request.
Although the Governor’s Office denies involvement, public records indicate that Steen conferred and met with Governor Reynolds' staff prior to denying TST Iowa's application. The IOCR notes that Iowa law prohibits aiding or contributing to discriminatory practices and concluded that TST “may still be able to state a claim” against the Governor's Office on that basis. Further updates will follow as the investigation proceeds.
