Iowa school district is forced to apologize after using a speech by NAZI Holocaust architect Heinrich Himmler as its ‘quote of the day’ for students
An Iowa school district has been forced to apologize after staff quoted Nazi Holocaust architect Heinrich Himmler in its morning announcement to students.
The Indianola Community School District featured a speech by the high-ranking Nazi with the quote “my honor is my loyalty” in an email to children and parents on Monday.
The school later apologized, saying, “A staff member did not realize the quote came from a highly inappropriate source.”
The phrase was originally used as a motto in Nazi Germany by the Schutzstaffel (SS), the paramilitary group of the Nazi Party, to show their loyalty to Adolf Hitler.
The use of a Nazi leader’s speech came amid a spike in anti-Semitic incidents seen on US campuses following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Indianola Superintendent Ted Ihns apologized to students and families after the quote sparked controversy and raised concerns among local historians
The Indianola Community School District was forced to apologize after a staff quoted Nazi Holocaust architect Heinrich Himmler in his morning announcement to students
The phrase was originally used as a motto in Nazi Germany by Heinrich Himmler (pictured) to show his loyalty to Adolf Hitler.
Himmler led the Nazi SS during World War II and was best known as one of the main architects of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany.
The phrase was attributed to Heinrich H. in the school’s “respect quote of the day,” which was shared over the Indianola Middle School public address system.
Some families shared the email with KCCIalong with the subsequent email apologizing for the quote.
Indianola Superintendent Ted Ihns apologized to students and families after the quote sparked controversy and raised concerns among local historians.
“This morning (November 20), an administrative assistant accidentally posted a Respect Quote of the Day before checking the source of the quote,”
‘I would first like to apologize for the inattention. While it was completely unintentional, I understand that some of those who saw the quote and realized the source were offended.
‘Going forward, we will implement a new process for our Respect Quote of the Day to ensure we double-check all sources and ensure the quotes are appropriate for our students.
It is not clear what the new process will be implemented and the staff who used the quote have not been named.
Himmler led the Nazi SS during World War II and was best known as one of the main architects of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany
The Department of Education announced the investigations Thursday, calling it part of the Biden administration’s efforts to take “aggressive action” against discrimination
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks to students during a visit to Towson University to discuss anti-Semitism on college campuses, Thursday, November 2, 2023
The citation incident came days after the Ministry of Education launched an investigation into schools following complaints of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia on campus.
The Department of Education announced the investigations Thursday, calling it part of the Biden administration’s efforts to take “aggressive action” against discrimination.
The schools under investigation include a K-12 school, the Maize Unified School District in Kansas and six colleges.
The six are Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, Cornell University in New York, Columbia University in New York, Wellesley College in Massachusetts, The Cooper Union in New York and the University of Pennsylvania.
Once the Ministry of Education completes the investigation, it will make recommendations to the institutes.
Schools found to have violated civil rights law can face penalties ranging up to a total loss of federal money, although the vast majority of cases end in voluntary settlements.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said, “Hate has no place in our schools, period.
‘If students are targeted because they are (or perceived to be) Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Sikh or other ethnicity or shared ancestry, schools must take action to ensure a safe and inclusive educational environment where everyone is free to to learn.’
All investigations are open on Wednesday or Thursday. An updated list of investigations will be released each week, the department said.
Cornell student Patrick Dai, seen here, confessed to making horrific threats against Jews after FBI agents traced his IP address to campus and his hometown
In a series of posts on the Greekrank forum he threatened to shoot, stab and kill ‘pig Jews’, one post can be seen above
Since the conflict in the Middle East began last month, tensions over the war have increased on campuses.
The conflict has sparked strong international responses, ranging from peaceful protests to acts of violent anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
The Anti-Defamation League reported 832 anti-Semitic incidents of assault, vandalism and intimidation between October 7 and November 7.
The organization documented a nearly 400 percent spike in incidents in the US between October 7 and 23.
Earlier this month, Cornell student Patrick Dia admitted to FBI agents that he had made horrific threats against Jewish students at the school.
In a series of posts on the Greekrank forum, he threatened to shoot, stab and kill “pig Jews,” calling himself “Hamas.”