ADL files civil rights complaint against Colorado school district over antisemitism allegations
The Anti-Defamation League has lodged a civil rights complaint against the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado, citing ongoing allegations of antisemitic harassment spanning several years. The reported incidents involve students performing Nazi salutes, ridiculing the Holocaust, and partaking in a derogatory game known as ‘Jew touch tag’, where Jewish students were pursued. Parents and commentators have expressed outrage, criticizing the district’s inadequate response to the severe bullying, which reportedly progressed to incidents of physical assault and subsequent criminal charges.
In an unrelated incident in New Jersey, a middle school has recalled its yearbooks after administrators discovered that a photograph of Adolf Hitler was included in the baby pictures section.
“Earlier today, after distributing the yearbooks to students, we discovered that the baby pictures section included an image later identified as an infant photo of Adolf Hitler,” explained East Brook Middle School Principal Ryan Aupperlee in a June 25 letter to parents. This report, available on NorthJersey.com, details the swift action taken to reclaim the yearbooks and prevent further distribution of the image.
East Brook Middle School is located in Paramus, a township in Bergen County, northern New Jersey.
Paramus Mayor Chris DiPiazza addressed the yearbook incident, stating in a Facebook post on Friday, “I am aware of the unfortunate incident at East Brook Middle School yesterday and have been in communication with both the Superintendent of Schools and the Chief of Police. Our borough prides itself on being inclusive and welcoming to all faiths, with many places of worship. Incidents like yesterday’s do not reflect the values of Paramus. God bless.”
East Brook Middle School in Paramus, New Jersey, recalled yearbooks after an infant photo of Adolf Hitler appeared in them, drawing administration, mayor and law enforcement attention. (Hulton Archive)
The incident prompted an investigation in Paramus. It was not immediately clear how the image was submitted, who was responsible for including it, or how it made it through the yearbook review process before the final copies were distributed.
The district is expected to determine next steps after reviewing how the photo appeared in the student publication. Law enforcement is investigating, too, according to the report.
The Adolf Hitler baby photo from 1889 has been viewed as a symbol of hate and antisemitism for decades. (Hulton Archive)
“I want to be direct with you: the presence of this image is unacceptable,” Aupperlee’s said in his letter to parents. “Even if the image was not immediately recognizable to those paging through the book, its inclusion in an official school publication is a severe breach of our values. Adolf Hitler represents hatred, antisemitism, and the horrors of the Holocaust, including the murder of six million Jews. An image of him has no place in a yearbook created for our students. It does not reflect who we are or what East Brook stands for, and we condemn its inclusion without reservation.”
The returned yearbooks had already been signed by students and school staff, so those recalls will require some consideration on how the personal messages are kept.
“Thank you for your patience, understanding, and trust as we work to make this right,” Aupperlee’s letter concluded. “We remain committed to ensuring that our school reflects the values of respect, inclusion, and dignity for every member of our community.”