It was no ‘political stunt.’ West Ada grad talks about tackling poster dispute
New graduate Jeremiah Brenot is proud of the education he received at Renaissance High School in Meridian.
The recently turned 18-year-old will attend Brown University, an Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island, as a pre-med major this fall.
But there was one thing school-related that Brenot in “good conscience” couldn’t stay silent about.
As one of two students chosen by the Renaissance senior class to speak at their graduation ceremony on May 19, Brenot strayed from his approved speech in his closing statement to address the West Ada School District’s decision to require a Lewis and Clark Middle School teacher to remove two posters from her classroom.
The district said the signs violated district policy on “content neutral” classroom displays.
One sign read, “Everyone is welcome here,” above hands of different skin tones. The other read, “In this room, everyone is welcome, important, accepted, respected, encouraged, valued,” with each word highlighted in a different color.
The district’s decision led to an uproar, with a wealth of support for the teacher and the signs.
“Too many administrators in this district have made it perfectly clear that they do not support the students and individual teachers in the district,” Brenot said in his speech. “I would like to personally thank (Renaissance administrators) Dr. (Michelle) Farrell and Miss (Wendy) Palmerton for ensuring a community of safety and belonging has been maintained here at Renaissance.
“Others have created a crisis out of an unpolitical poster that supports the basic sentiment everyone should be welcome in this district.”
That was as much as Brenot was able to get out before being cut off by a Renaissance administrator.
“I wasn’t doing this as some political stunt,” Brenot told the Idaho Statesman. “I really, honestly could not go off across the country to college with a good conscience knowing I didn’t do everything I could to bring awareness to this issue and try to create change.
“The West Ada mission statement is, ‘Preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges.’ And one of the biggest challenges of tomorrow — and today — is treating everyone with respect and valuing different perspectives and opinions.
“I think that by not allowing this poster to stay up, it’s setting a bad precedent for the kids, and it’s not teaching them this very important lesson that everyone deserves to feel welcome, especially in the schools.”
The West Ada teacher who displayed the signs, Lewis and Clark Middle School’s Sarah Inama, fought the district on the posters and then eventually resigned last month at the end of the school year.
Renaissance senior got his diploma, despite speech
Brenot said his commencement speech had to be approved ahead of time by school administrators, and he was told that going off script could mean his diploma would be withheld. Renaissance held its graduation ceremony on a Monday, and he went to the high school a few days later to pick up that diploma.
“Obviously, if I go off script and say something they wouldn’t have approved, then they’re gonna get mad,” Brenot said. “They tried to hold (my diploma), but they decided not to.”
Before receiving his diploma, Brenot says he had a discussion with Renaissance administration about his decision to stray from the guidelines for speaking at graduation. But could the school really not hand over a student’s properly earned diploma?
“The district’s policy is clear — if a student has met all academic requirements, their high school diploma cannot and will not be withheld,” according to a statement from the West Ada district provided to the Statesman. “While participation in graduation ceremonies is a privilege and may be impacted by disciplinary matters, the awarding of a diploma is not subject to such conditions.
“Holding a student’s diploma for any reason outside of academic completion would be against district policy and inconsistent with state educational guidelines.”
Brenot, diploma in hand, plans to study human health and biology at Brown, and he will be taking a test to get his EMT certification on Friday. He was part of Renaissance’s International Baccalaureate program, taking accelerated courses in English, biology, Spanish and math. He also plays the flute and volunteers for the St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital advisory board.
“Students in the West Ada district have been empowered and taught by the educators in the district to advocate for themselves,” Brenot said. “It was almost West Ada’s fault that I did that, if you think about it.
“I’ve had great educators, and they’ve taught me to think critically and advocate for myself.”
Since speaking out during his speech, Brenot said fellow students, family, parents and even some teachers have reached out to thank him.
His hope now is that the West Ada School District will rethink such policies.
“I think the community is ready to heal. They’re ready to move on,” Brenot said. “And I don’t think the district should be embarrassed to say, ‘I’m sorry.’ I think everyone’s ready for healing and growth and moving forward from this so that they can rest assured that the district has their students’ and the community’s best interests in mind, but the fact that they keep digging their heels in is disheartening.”
West Ada provided a statement in response to Brenot’s commencement speech:
“West Ada School District supports student voice and values the respectful expression of personal beliefs. As educators, we are committed to creating a learning environment where all students feel heard, respected, and empowered to engage in thoughtful dialogue.”