In Ohio, schoolchildren will have the opportunity to learn about the teachings of the Satanic Temple through a new program called the Hellion Academy of Independent Learning (HAIL). Set to begin in December, HAIL will provide once-a-month off-campus lessons for students from Edgewood Elementary School in Marysville during school hours. This initiative is made possible by the state’s religious release program and serves as an alternative to the Bible study sessions offered by the established LifeWise Academy, an Ohio-based Christian program. Leaders from the Satanic Temple have stated that the introduction of HAIL was driven by local parents who wanted a secular option for their children.
The request for HAIL stemmed from parents seeking an alternative to the religious instruction provided by LifeWise Academy, which currently operates in over 170 Ohio school districts, taking students out of class for Bible study once a week. June Everett, an ordained minister with the Satanic Temple, explained that local parents approached her to suggest the program as a relatively unheard-of but important alternative. She emphasized that the aim is not to close down LifeWise Academy but to highlight a broader principle: when a school district permits one religion, it opens the door for others. The initiation of HAIL indicates a push for inclusivity in educational settings where religious teachings are concerned.
Despite its controversial name, the HAIL program is designed to promote positive values among students that include critical thinking, community service, empathy, self-directed learning, and creative expression. It’s important to note that the teachings of HAIL do not advocate for any form of devil worship. Instead, the Satanic Temple identifies itself as largely non-theistic, meaning its followers do not believe in supernatural deities, including both God and Satan. This orientation towards promoting critical thinking and morality sets HAIL apart from traditional religious programs while still facilitating a space for secular instruction during released time periods.
Leaders from LifeWise Academy, including CEO Joel Penton, have acknowledged the new HAIL initiative as a reason for pushing the Ohio legislature to pass a proposed bill, HB 445, which seeks to clarify the rules surrounding released-time religious instruction programs. Penton expressed that, while the introduction of HAIL does not cause fear, it underscores the need for a clear legislative framework that allows for religious studies in schools. He reiterated LifeWise’s belief that families should have the right to choose religious education for their children during school hours, supporting the idea of diverse religious instruction options.
The proposed alterations in bill HB 445 would aim to change the permissive language regarding religious instruction in schools. By replacing the word “may” with “shall,” the bill would compel all school districts to allow students to participate in religious instruction during school hours, rather than making it optional. This legislative push emphasizes the ongoing dialogue about how public schools handle religious education and aims to ensure that when one religious program is granted access to students, others can also participate under the same conditions.
In essence, the emergence of HAIL illustrates a significant shift in the landscape of religious instruction in Ohio’s public schools, raising questions about inclusivity and parental rights. It underscores the broader debate in society regarding the separation of church and state, the rights of families to choose the kind of education their children receive, and how various religious and non-religious teachings can coexist in public educational systems. As HAIL seeks to establish a foothold within this system, it challenges conventional narratives around both religious education and the understanding of the Satanic Temple, promoting a vision that might surprise many with its focus on rational thought and ethical values rather than the images often associated with its name.
