HARTLAND, Wis. — An Arrowhead High School graduate says she was blocked from including a Bible verse in a graduation slideshow honoring members of the Class of 2026 — a decision the district says follows a three-year practice of keeping school-sponsored presentations free from religious or political messages.
Sarianne Beronja, who open-enrolled to attend Arrowhead, said Proverbs 3:6 — a verse she said grounded her through high school — was her first choice for the 75-character message that appeared alongside each graduate’s name and photo during the ceremony.
“That was really important to have that on there, because it exemplifies how it was through high school, and what I founded all of my belief on,” Beronja said.
Two days before graduation, Beronja said she was contacted by an associate principal and told her selection went against school policy. She provided an alternate message drawn from her own writing. The next morning, she asked if she could instead use a shorter line thanking God for being “beside me through these last four years.” She said that too was denied.
“They couldn’t honor the one thing that I had asked,” she said. “It felt really heavy on me.”
In a written statement to TMJ4 News, Superintendent Conrad Farner said the slideshow is considered “school-sponsored speech,” not a public forum, and is treated the same as any other district-produced event such as a play or athletic contest.
Watch: Arrowhead grad’s Bible verse denied; superintendent cites neutrality rule
Citing the 1988 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, Farner said administrators may edit or restrict school-sponsored expression if it is “reasonably related to legitimate educational concerns.” He said Arrowhead’s slideshow is limited to thank-yous and future plans, and that no political or religious statements are permitted from any student. “By consistently not allowing any religious or political commentary, it is legally appropriate,” Farner said. He added that the standard has been in place for three years.
Sarianne’s mother, Lora Engel, said she supports viewpoint neutrality but believes the district’s rule is inconsistently applied. She said she has proof of a Bible verse used by another graduate in the 2024 slideshow. She also criticized the timing of the decision, saying, “They notified her at 11:46 p.m. the day before graduation. It makes it feel like they didn’t want us to say anything about it.”
Engel said the family plans to raise the issue at this week’s school board meeting, asking for clarification on whether the restriction is formal board policy or administrative practice.
Farner said allowing religious or political remarks could open the door to “potentially divisive and controversial statements” that might detract from the ceremony. Engel counters that students should be able to include respectful expressions of faith alongside other personal thank-yous.
For Beronja, the issue is about more than a slideshow. “I mainly wanted to do it so that those under me are able to have the opportunity that I didn’t have,” she said. “Stand up for what you believe in — and stick by that.”
The Arrowhead School Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, and Engel said they plan to attend.
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