A Wisconsin high school graduate, Sarianne Beronja, is alleging religious discrimination after school officials barred her from including a Bible verse in a graduation ceremony slideshow due to the district’s neutrality policy.

Background

Beronja, a 2026 graduate of Arrowhead High School in Waukesha County, submitted Proverbs 3:6 as her personal message to appear beside her photo in the slideshow. The verse reads: “In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path.” However, less than 24 hours before the ceremony, an associate principal told her she could not use the verse because religious messages are prohibited.

Beronja said that her faith helped shape who she is, and the verse was something she kept coming back to that kept her grounded and moving forward. She also stated that she did not believe the school consistently barred religious statements at graduation, claiming students had included Bible verses and expressions of faith in past ceremonies.

Response from School Officials

Superintendent Conrad Farner told Fox News Digital that religious and political messages were barred from the graduation slideshow because it is considered “school-sponsored speech.” He said students were given explicit instructions to limit messages to family thank-yous and future plans. Farner cited the 1988 Supreme Court ruling in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, which gives school administrators the right to restrict school-sponsored expression if it is “reasonably related to legitimate educational concerns.”

The school official stated that opening the door to political or religious expression would create a disruptive environment at graduation, adding that the school wanted to avoid a situation where students and parents would want to bring “signs and buttons and flags” to express themselves. Going forward, Farner said the school will no longer utilize a slideshow at graduation.

Legal Action

Beronja and her mother are fighting the school district policy to protect future students’ expression, seeking help from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL). WILL has accused the district of violating the student’s First Amendment rights, stating that once a school creates an opportunity for students to express their own views, it cannot exclude religious viewpoints while permitting comparable non-religious speech.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.