Satanic leader arrested after Black Mass, scuffle at Kansas Statehouse
A leader of a Satanist group and three others were arrested on Friday after chaos erupted inside the Kansas Statehouse when the leader attempted to hold a Black Mass in the rotunda.
Michael Stewart, the head of the Kansas City-area Satanic Grotto, was taken into custody after video footage captured him punching a counter-protester who tried to take his script. Kansas Highway Patrol officers swiftly intervened, tackling and handcuffing him as he defiantly shouted, “Hail, Satan!” Stewart was later released on $1,000 bond for charges of disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly.
Stewart’s nonprofit group, which describes itself as an “independent and nondenominational Satanic church,” found themselves at the center of controversy after allegations emerged that Stewart had stolen consecrated bread from a local Catholic Church to use in the Black Mass ceremony.
Approximately 30 members of the Satanic Grotto gathered outside the statehouse to protest what they perceived as favoritism towards Christians. In response, hundreds of Christian counter-protesters joined in, singing hymns and urging the Satanic group to “accept Jesus.”
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly took action following pressure from Catholic groups and temporarily banned protests inside the statehouse for the day, specifically targeting the Black Mass event organized by Stewart and his followers. Catholic leaders condemned the planned event as “a despicable act of anti-Catholic bigotry.”
Pastor Jeremiah Hicks of The Cure Church in Kansas City, Kansas, voiced his opposition to the event, warning against dedicating the state to Satan, which he believed symbolized death according to biblical teachings.
Despite the backlash, Satanic Grotto supporters argued that the event was a form of free speech. Stewart’s wife, Maenad Bee, defended her husband’s actions, stating, “He’s only exercising his First Amendment rights.”
In addition to Stewart, two other followers, Jocelyn Frazee, 32, and Sean Anderson, 50, were also arrested for unlawful assembly. Frazee’s bond status was not disclosed, while Anderson’s bond information remained unavailable at the time of publication.
A Christian counter-protester named Marcus Schroeder, 21, who attempted to disrupt Stewart’s script during the altercation, was also arrested for disorderly conduct and had a $1,000 bond set.
Karla Delgado, a mother who attended the protest with her three young children, recounted her efforts to prevent Stewart’s Satanic ceremony, which resulted in her 4-year-old daughter being knocked down amidst the chaos.
Stewart hinted at the possibility of future events, suggesting the potential for “un-baptisms” to take place at the Capitol. The Satanic Grotto did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jasmine, a writer at Fox News Digital and a military spouse based in New Orleans, can be reached at jasmine.baehr@fox.com.
