The Feb. 28 Saucon Valley School Board meeting drew a large crowd of concerned community members, as well as several local news organizations, largely in response to the controversy surrounding the district’s approval and subsequent revocation of an “After School Satan Club,” which was to be held on campus grounds.

The club, sponsored by The Satanic Temple, has been established in several other districts across the United States as a tongue-in-cheek response to the approval of mainstream religious after-school clubs and activities on school grounds.

Some believe that the organization’s interest in Saucon Valley was triggered by the ongoing Christian after-hours group, the Good News Club, which advertised its meetings on campus.

Saucon Valley Superintendent Jaime Vlasaty first addressed the matter during her report, claiming, “there has been attention in news reports that have been inaccurate despite the communication that was shared with the community, news and the district.”

She then described the timeline of events: She began receiving outraged messages from the community four days after the rental of the grounds’ Feb. 16 approval. Subsequently, the district sent a memo to the community to clarify that the club was unaffiliated with the school district and that decision was strictly based on legality, she said.

However, on Feb. 21, a threat from a North Carolina man was left on the district’s voicemail. Vlasaty decided to implement a district-wide campus closure for the following day, and upon reopening, the next two days featured increased security presence, with students returning to school only after safety could be assured, she said.

Vlasaty said her Feb. 24 decision to then rescind the club’s approval was pursuant to district policy number 707, which stipulates that any advertisement of an unaffiliated club or event on school grounds must explicitly state their independence from the district, with which she claimed the Satanic Temple failed to comply.

Vlasaty also shared details of the hundreds of aggressive and threatening messages she said she received through various channels, including her social media accounts. She stressed the district’s responsibility to “take...accountability for our words, actions and reactions, not just for the sake of our community, but for each one of our students.”

Board President Susan Baxter commended Vlasaty’s handling of the situation. Vice President Dr. Shamim Pakzad added that the community should not be used as a “pawn for people to...make their point” and that the district must respect the needs of its students and families.

However, many district residents and parents weren’t satisfied with Vlasaty’s explanation, choosing to speak publicly during the open comment portion of the meeting.

Shae McGee, the former district parent who submitted the initial rental application to host club activities, countered Vlastay’s claim that its advertising didn’t follow policy 707. The club’s sign-up sheet “says it directly on the bottom… clearly,” McGee noted, concluding, “It’s a violation of our constitutional right to allow one religious group and not allow them all.”

Several other district parents and residents spoke, most in support of McGee.

Lower Saucon Township resident Steven Katz, who said he has no affiliation with the Temple nor has any children in the district, praised most of the preceding speakers as being “much more civil than anticipated.”

However, he said his concern was that if Vlasaty’s motivation for rescinding the approval was “the controversy, the threats and the disruption” that followed, other after-school clubs might be subject to the same discretionary discrimination.

Zach Kraft, also of the township, added, “Basically, any kind of religion should be out of public schools, [which] would be helpful to all parties. If you believe in God, go to a church. If you believe in anything else, just go somewhere else.”

However, a man who failed to identify himself spoke last. “The reason why I live in Hellertown is because of this [district], because it’s a smaller, country, conservative [district] - and the people in this community would like to keep it that way.”

While the club controversy was the main topic of discussion, some parents were there to address other issues, such as the overhaul of the high school program of studies set to begin next school year.

Jean Riley of Lower Saucon Township said, “As a parent of a junior, I just think [incoming seniors] really got the rug pulled out from underneath them… adding the full-year English [course] really throws a wrench into their plan.”

Pam Silverthorn of Hellertown was in favor of the changes, however, pointing to several scheduling issues from prior years that the new plan addresses. “Thank you for listening [and] for trying to make the changes that reflect the students.” She did note that she feels sorry for incoming seniors whose final year will be impacted unexpectedly.

Ultimately – after considerable internal debate over the number of credits applied to some courses – the board voted to approve both the program of studies and its corresponding bell schedule as presented in their revised forms by high school Principal Walter Pawlowski.