Arrowhead Union High School District settles religious censorship case

The Arrowhead Union High School District has reached a settlement with the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) following a case involving religious censorship. The dispute arose after school administrators prevented student Sarianne Beronja from including a Bible verse, Proverbs 3:6, in a graduation slideshow. When Beronja attempted to substitute the verse with a statement thanking God, administrators rejected that message as well, while allowing other students to include secular messages.

As part of the settlement, the District has issued an apology to Beronja and her family and acknowledged that her religious message was unfairly denied. The agreement includes a settlement payment and a commitment from the District to provide First Amendment training for administrators to ensure the protection of students’ rights to personal and religious expression.