A federal judge in Iowa on Monday granted a preliminary injunction requiring the Iowa Department of Administrative Services to allow The Satanic Temple to hold a holiday event Dec. 12 in the Iowa Capitol rotunda^2,3.

The ACLU of Iowa sued in August in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, arguing the state repeatedly refused permission for what the ACLU called a family-friendly winter holiday event while allowing other religious and civic groups in the rotunda^2,3.

Chief Judge Stephanie M. Rose of the Southern District of Iowa barred DAS Director Mark Campbell from denying the event as described in the group’s March 2026 permit application².

Rose found the temple was permitted a holiday display in the rotunda in December 2023 alongside other displays, including a Christian nativity scene, then had applications denied from 2024 through 2026^2,3.

The state later said the 2024 denial was based at least in part on concern that a costume contest would involve carrying bundles of sticks that might be used as weapons against children, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported².

Rose wrote that former DAS director Adam Steen coordinated the permit denial with the governor’s office, emphasized Satanic symbols, hymns and rituals in public descriptions, and framed a policy change as a way to avoid losing a free-speech argument². In public remarks at the time, Steen said, “No more marketing to children,” according to the Dispatch².

Rose noted Steen testified under oath that the temple’s religious beliefs played no part in the denial and that he could not recall why he had publicly emphasized Satanic symbols and hymns².

The decision under review was Campbell’s 2026 denial, not Steen’s 2024 action, the Dispatch reported². Rose found Campbell gave conflicting accounts, first agreeing that matching the 2024 application was his entire reason, then saying staff told him the 2024 denial was for fear of harm to children and that he concurred².

The judge found officials never examined whether the sticks posed a real danger, that Steen admitted not knowing whether they were real or props, and that Campbell performed no independent evaluation of costume risk, while visitors already pass through metal detectors².

Campbell may impose only restrictions or conditions the state would apply to other indoor Capitol events, such as security, insurance and damage-deposit requirements².

ACLU of Iowa staff attorney Shefali Aurora said Monday that officials denied the temple permission because they disagreed with its religious viewpoint².

Defendants include Campbell, Steen and the department; the ACLU still seeks findings under the First and 14th Amendments, the Iowa Civil Rights Act and the Iowa Religious Freedom Restoration Act, plus damages, while state representatives have denied wrongdoing and declined to comment on pending litigation².