York News-Times reprint
Written by Jenna Ebbers Lincoln Journal Star
A central Nebraska school district is investigating a “deeply painful” incident in which high school students allegedly posed with a hate symbol on school grounds, sparking discourse online and leading to calls for better Holocaust education.
A photo showing two Aurora High School students in a school locker room holding a red Nazi flag while giving a thumbs-up began circulating on social media last week, prompting district officials and local police to launch an investigation.
Aurora Superintendent Jody Phillips called the incident “extremely inappropriate and unacceptable” and said the photo “depicts a symbol of hate and offensiveness that the Aurora Public Schools does not condone.”
“We understand the serious nature of this incident and will work very hard to hold those responsible accountable and continue to educate our students on acceptance, tolerance, hate and digital citizenship,” Phillips said in an emailed statement to the Journal Star.
The photo, which covered the students’ faces, was originally posted by an anonymous, public Instagram account but has since been removed. The account’s profile picture featured the school logo, but it is not affiliated with the district.
After discovering the photo online late Thursday evening, district officials contacted the Aurora Police Department, which determined nothing criminal had occurred and handed the investigation back to the school district, according to Chief Paul Graham.
School leaders have contacted the students involved.
Phillips did not say if any disciplinary action has been taken, stating that student discipline is a confidential matter. Phillips also asked anyone with information to contact the school.
It is unclear why the students had the flag or where they got it.
District administration planned to meet with all high school students Monday to discuss both the situation and the ramifications it has on students, staff and the community as a whole, Phillips said. The Aurora school district has about 1,200 students.
“Although this incident sheds negative light on our school and school community, I want to make sure everyone knows that the Aurora Public School has great students, families, staff and community members,” he said. “The actions of a few students do not reflect the thoughts, views and actions of our school.”
The photo was upsetting to Ari Kohen, director of the Harris Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Kohen – UNL
The Jewish community has deep roots in Nebraska, Kohen said, including Holocaust survivors who lived through the Nazi’s genocide and resettled in the state after the war. Nebraska is also the home to World War II veterans who worked to liberate Nazi concentration camps.
“It’s sad to see young people with that imagery,” he said. “I mean, it just looks terrible, and it doesn’t feel good to see.”
The incident points to a clear need for additional, more in-depth Holocaust education for Nebraska students, Kohen said, emphasizing how important it is for students to learn and understand the severity of what happened to Jewish people across Europe during World War II.
Kohen, who is researching teaching methods for effective Holocaust education, pointed to Nebraska Stories of Humanity, a free online database that tells the stories of survivors living in Nebraska, and the Institute for Holocaust Education in Omaha, which offers free programs and training for school staff and students, as two resources available to schools.
“It’s a cry, I think, for more serious Holocaust education that really helps young people to understand what it is that this means,” he said.
Kohen pointed to a rise in antisemitism in recent years, including the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, when white supremacist groups marched through the city bearing torches and taking part in antisemitic chants.
He also pointed to a rise in people comparing national political leaders to the Nazi regime, which he said lowers the seriousness of conversations about the Holocaust.
Kohen said the Nazis’ mass murder should always be “universally regarded as one of the worst crimes in human history.”
“There has been just a more open or more willingness to use these images that I think for many years were considered off-limits, were considered beyond the pale, not part of polite society or public discourse,” he said. “A lot of that has vanished of late.”
