High School in Wisconsin Apologizes to Teen for Restricting Internet Access to Wicca

March 31, 1999

Source: Star Tribune

On March 31, 1999, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported that a battle between the Winter School District in Wisconsin and Burklin Nielsen, a 16-year-old student at Winter High School, has been resolved. Nielsen filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction claiming that her freedom of religion was violated when she was prevented from accessing material over the internet about Wicca in a school computer lab for public use during non-school hours. Nielsen, a Lutheran, was the target of many small-town rumors and was suggested to be "a devil worshiper" by a member of the school board. Edward Sheridan, principal of Winter High last year and now the district administrator for Winter School District, wrote a letter of apology. "Having consulted with legal counsel thereafter and having been [apprised] that Wicca is a religious organization, I recognize that the School District should have allowed her the right to access such information and I regret having taken steps to prevent her from doing so." Karen Nielsen, mother of Burklin, expressed relief that the dispute had come to an end: "The hardest thing was having her go through the harassment and knowing it wasn't deserved. There were people acting out of ignorance. Some people can't understand that just because it isn't Christian that doesn't mean it's Satanic....But most people stood by us and were supportive."