A new religious education program is making waves at Edgewood Elementary in Marysville, Ohio. The Hellion Academy of Independent Learning (HAIL), offered by the Satanic Temple, is now available to students as part of Ohio's Release Time Religious Instruction (RTRI) program. This allows students to attend off-campus religious instruction during school hours once a month.
HAIL joins other faith-based programs, such as Bible study, already offered through the RTRI initiative. It's important to note that HAIL operates independently and isn't endorsed by the school district or its board. The program focuses on fostering critical thinking, community engagement, compassion, self-guided learning, and creative expression in students.
According to June Everett, campaign director for the After School Satan Club and a Satanic Temple ordained minister, the program was established after a parent requested a Satanic Temple option at the school. Everett explained that the Satanic Temple develops these programs solely upon parental request and only in districts where other religious release programs already exist. She noted that the parent who requested HAIL sought an alternative to the existing Christian program, LifeWise, due to concerns about students who opt out feeling excluded.
Everett highlighted that HAIL's monthly schedule, compared to LifeWise's weekly sessions, stems from the Satanic Temple's limited resources. This Marysville program marks the Satanic Temple's first RTRI initiative in Ohio, although its After School Satan Club has branches in Dayton, Wilmington, and Lebanon. She also addressed common misconceptions about the Satanic Temple, emphasizing that they do not worship the devil or engage in harmful practices. Rather, she clarified that Satanists are generally non-theistic, meaning they don't believe in supernatural deities, including God or Satan.
LifeWise CEO and founder, Joel Penton, views HAIL's introduction as a case in point for Ohio House Bill 445, which would mandate school districts to adopt release instruction policies. Penton believes this would provide clearer guidelines for implementing such programs. He stated that LifeWise isn't threatened by other organizations offering RTRI and supports parental choice in religious education.
