Increasing access of satanism in schools may be linked to actions of the Trump administration, according to some critics. The Satanic Temple (ST) has been offering programs in schools to teach students the tenets of satanism through new religious release programs. The program is named the Hellions Academy of Independent Learning or HAIL for short. June Everett, a representative for the Satanic Temple, has said people get the wrong idea when they hear satanism. “We are not devil worshipers,” she said. “Different Satanists across the United States will give you different answers depending on how they personally believe. But as a whole, we are non-theistic, meaning we don’t believe in any supernatural deities, and that includes, you know, God or Satan.”

The program has promoted itself as an alternative to Lifewise, a religious release program that allows students who sign up to learn about the Bible. Betty Elswick, a volunteer and organizer for the HAIL program in the Marysville school district in Ohio has said the program is about representation. “This program is to make sure kids have a place to go. It’s not teaching Satanism; it’s talking about ethics and being part of a community. We want it to be positive. We felt as parents, with this policy in place, we also wanted the kids to have representation no matter what group was here,” she said. She claimed that students had been bullied or teased for not participating in the Lifewise option.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis has claimed that the Trump administration is to blame for the rise of such programs in schools. “I heard this and then I was like, well, how did it get there? Is that even a religion? And lo and behold, the Trump administration gave them approval to be under the IRS as a religion,” said DeSantis. “So that gave them the legal ability to potentially do it. My view would be that that’s not a religion that the founding fathers were trying to create. But I do think that IRS ruling, I was really surprised to see that they did that.” The IRS ruling enables the Satanic Temple to receive tax-exempt status and apply for faith-based grants. It also protects programs such as HAIL under the First Amendment. The designation has enabled the ST to feature displays at state capitols. Despite the outrage such displays have caused amongst Christian groups, state authorities have asserted their right to be there.