Today, a federal judge granted The Satanic Temple (TST) a preliminary injunction ordering Iowa officials to approve its December 12 holiday event at the State Capitol, following three consecutive years of denials.
The ruling marks a major early victory in TST's ongoing lawsuit, brought by the ACLU of Iowa alongside Hasso & Wilson Law Firm and Kezhaya Law PLC. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa found that TST is likely to succeed on its First Amendment free speech claim and that the state's denial was "likely unconstitutional." While the lawsuit continues, the preliminary injunction requires Iowa to allow the event to proceed as planned rather than wait until the case is fully resolved.
State officials had repeatedly denied TST's applications to hold holiday events at Iowa’s Capitol, claiming that its Krampus-themed costume contest could harm children. The court rejected that justification, noting that excluding Krampus while permitting other religious holiday displays "targets a perspective on the holiday rather than the holiday itself."
The ruling also acknowledged the “substantial evidence” that the state’s purported basis of denial was pretextual as Plaintiffs argue–and not solely about costume props. Court records revealed coordination between the Department and the Governor's Office in 2024, while an October 2025 news article quoted former Department Director Adam Steen saying he had changed Capitol event policies to avoid losing a "free speech" argument.
Iowa also argued that TST could simply hold its event elsewhere. The court rejected that position, finding that relocating the event would allow the likely constitutional violation to continue. As the judge explained, "A holiday event held after the holiday is not the same event."
The court ordered Iowa officials to approve TST's application within seven days and prohibited restrictions based on the event's message, costumes, or costume contest. After three consecutive years of denials, TST has secured a significant victory against Iowa's restrictions on our religious expression.
Our legal fight against Iowa is far from over, and we will continue to provide updates as the case develops.
