California school district investigating video showing teens giving Nazi salute
Garden Grove, California — A Southern California school district is reopening an investigation into members of a high school water polo team recorded giving a Nazi salute. Parents are furious school officials kept the incident quiet.
Amanda Marshall, a senior at Pacifica High School, said she knows some of the water polo players involved.
"I think they should be suspended or expelled because it's not okay," she said.
Officials at Pacifica High School in Orange County claimed that the incident occurred at an off-campus banquet, and they said "the situation" had been addressed. But Tuesday night, the administration reversed course.
"We did a disservice to the entire school community," said Principal Steve Osborn.
That apology didn't calm teachers and parents who were kept in the dark, until the video went viral this week.
"We as teachers were not informed. We were completely blindsided and we feel outraged," said teacher Ana Tourtellotte.
Another clip surfaced, showing a student on campus wearing a Confederate flag.
"I thought we were beyond this. I thought this wasn't such a common topic but we are seeing it more and more often. I think it's scary," said parent Melissa Soeltz.
The Southern Poverty Law Center surveyed educators and found they reported more than 3,000 hate or bias incidents in just the fall semester of 2018.
"It's racism. It's anti-semitism, Islamophobia, It's anti-immigrant xenophobic sentiments. We're seeing this over and over again in our country," said Rabbi Peter-Levi, with the Orange County Anti-Defamation League.
School is back in session next week. Administrators wouldn't talk about potential disciplinary action against any of the students.
