The Satanic Temple, Inc. v. City of Boston
 | |
| The Satanic Temple, Inc. v. City of Boston | |
|---|---|
| Filing Date | 1/20/2021 |
| Original Jurisdiction | US District Court of Massachusetts - Boston |
| Plaintiff | The Satanic Temple Inc. |
| Defendant | City of Boston |
| Intervenor | N/A |
| State | Massachusetts |
| Case# | 1:21-cv-10102 |
| Original Result | Dismissed (failure) |
| First Appeal | N/A |
| Second Appeal | N/A |
| Final Result | |
The Satanic Temple, Inc. sued the city of Boston in federal court on Jan. 20. 2021, claiming that its rights had been violated by the invocation prior to city council meetings, specifically that TST hadn't been one of the invited clergy despite asking for it for three years.[1] Council policy allowed each council member to invite a speaker of their choice to deliver the opening prayer before each meeting a few times a year.
On July 31, 2023, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit concluding that councilors were recognizing the good work done in the city by the clergy, not because they're pushing a particular religious viewpoint.[2]
The judge had also previously sanctioned The Satanic Temple for $8,000 in part for its legal team's stated desire to depose in Salem, Mass., then-Boston mayoral candidate Michelle Wu on Election Day of 2021, forcing the city to spend resources making legal arguments preventing that from taking place.[3]
References
- ↑ WBUR.org, Satanic Temple Sues Boston Over Opening Prayer Policy, Jan. 26, 2021
- ↑ UniversalHub.com, udge rules Boston City Council doesn't have to let Satanists give an invocation if it doesn't want to, July 31, 2023
- ↑ CourtListener.com, The Satanic Temple, Inc. v. City of Boston, Memorandum & ORDER — Document #47