Judge orders Iowa to permit Satanic Temple holiday event at state capitol

Federal court says group likely to win its free speech claim and tells officials to approve application within seven days

A federal judge ordered state officials in Iowa on Monday to permit a local Satanic Temple organization to hold a holiday event in the rotunda of the state capitol after years of denying the group’s application.

The religious organization and Iowa Republican state officials have been in a legal battle over the group’s applications to hold a holiday event at the state capitol in recent years.