Apparent antisemitism by students at a Long Island junior high school angers parents
Parents in one Suffolk County community are calling for swift action after incidents of antisemitism at Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School in the respected Three Village School District.
They say children were taunting Jewish students and making "heil Hitler" salutes during a Holocaust lesson.
"The Holocaust became a joke to these students"
Parents were alerted via email and robocalls that antisemitic incidents had happened. The letter did not include specifics.
The families of the targeted Jewish students consulted with attorney Kenneth Mollins.
"Numerous students were giving the Hitler salute in the hallways," Mollins said.
Mollins said it happened following a social studies lesson on World War II, adding several students also made antisemitic remarks during a Holocaust film aimed at educating them about Nazi atrocities.
"The Holocaust became a joke to these students," Mollins said.
The district is taking immediate steps, superintendent says
Outraged parents notified administrators and on Wednesday night, a school board meeting drew an overflow crowd.
"How do we explain to them about free speech, a very important issue, and hateful, vengeful speech?" one person said.
Superintendent Dr. Ken Scanlon said the district is taking immediate steps.
"There were no acts of violence or threats. It doesn't matter if it was one or 41. One is enough," Scanlon said.
He said the administration will be meeting with Holocaust educators and the Anti-Defamation League to look at staff training and bringing in Holocaust survivors to address students.
"This is not a one and done. This is a conversation that will continue on," Scanlon said.
Parents appreciative of district's proactive stance
Rabbi Aaron Benson, a parent in the district, said he was initially appalled.
"I do think there is a desperate need for further education," Benson said. "The initial response was that it was just a few boys or a few students, rather, who were making noise and that nothing rose above middle school mischief had taken place. Clearly, that wasn't what had happened."
He said the school district was "slow off the mark," but added he's now optimistic.
Parents at the board meeting applauded and thanked the district for its response after the superintendent acknowledged the current zero-tolerance policy is not enough.
