Shocking act at a New Jersey school sees a photo of a Jewish student group erased from the year book.. and replaced with MUSLIM students: ‘Blatant anti-Semitic act’
A yearbook scandal has rocked a New Jersey high school after the names of members of a Jewish student group were removed and their group photo was swapped with a photo of Muslim students.
The controversy first came to light on Tuesday, when about 375 yearbooks were distributed at East Brunswick High.
In the yearbook, the section for the Jewish Student Union has been completely cut out, with the names of the members also removed.
The photo of the group that should have been there had been exchanged for a photo of a group of Muslim students who were not involved in the club.
Although the East Brunswick school system’s superintendent, Victor Valeski, said it could have been a “legitimate mistake,” others quickly labeled the act as a clear example of anti-Semitism.
A yearbook scandal has rocked a New Jersey high school after a Jewish student had their names removed and their group photo swapped with a photo showing Muslim students.
In the yearbook, the section for the Jewish Student Union fell between the Tenor Bass group and the Key Service Organization, both of which have a name with their photo. For the Jewish Student Union, however, there is no text, just an empty space
East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen called it a “blatant anti-Semitic act” in a statement.
After apologizing to both Jewish and Muslim students, Superintendent Valeski urged the community not to jump to conclusions.
“I sent out a message to the community today saying we are investigating, and I wished people would give us time to do the investigation, and not rush to judgment,” he said. NBC4.
He speculated that the mistake could have been innocent, and without anti-Semitic motives.
“I’ll just wait and see what the investigation turns up because it could be a legitimate mistake.” He added: “I don’t want to call it anti-Semitism yet.”
However, Mayor Cohen seems to believe that there is no other tenable explanation.
About the yearbook scandal, he said, “It caused a lot of outrage in the community because it’s hard for most people to fathom how this happened ‘accidentally.’
If the school incident was the product of anti-Semitism, Mayor Cohen has questioned whether or not it should be considered a hate crime.
However, Mayor Cohen seems to believe that there is no other tenable explanation.
Superintendent Valeski, after apologizing to both Jewish and Muslim students, urged the community not to jump to conclusions. He speculated that the mistake could have been innocent, and without anti-Semitic motives
East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen called it a “blatant anti-Semitic act” in a statement.
“I think the community — both the Jewish community and the community as a whole — deserves an answer quickly,” Cohen said.
The mayor then railed against those who had reservations about labeling the act as a piece of Jewish hatred.
“It’s downright disturbing and scandalous that you don’t call it what it is: it’s an anti-Semitic act.”
After the problem was discovered in the yearbook, the members of the Jewish Student Union met again to take a new photo, which will be included in amended versions along with their names.
The school district has also retained an outside law firm to launch an investigation into the matter and get to the bottom of the matter.
“Hate has no place in East Brunswick and anti-Semitism will not be tolerated,” Mayor Cohen said.
After the problem was discovered in the yearbook, the members of the Jewish Student Union met again to take a new photo, which will be included in amended versions along with their names.
School buses run from the East Brunswick High School campus after the school day on February 22, 2018
Meanwhile, the New Jersey office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called for a ‘transparent and fair investigation.’
The yearbook incident “has sparked horrific reactions against some Muslim students who had no idea their photo was being misused,” spokesperson Aya Elamroussi said in a statement.
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