Florida Principal Reassigned After Remarks on Holocaust

A Florida principal has been reassigned to an administrative position after he wrote to a parent that the Holocaust was not a “factual, historical event,” NBC reported, citing a report of The Palm Beach Post.

The report, printed Friday, revealed that Principal William Latson of the Spanish River Community High School in Boca Raton had replied to a parent who requested Holocaust education at the school. In his email response he said that he could not “force” Holocaust lessons on children because some people don’t believe the Holocaust happened.

In response to the parent’s second letter, which stated that “The Holocaust is a factual, historical event,” Latson replied: “I can’t say the Holocaust is a factual, historical event because I am not in a position to do so as a school district employee.”

After calls for Latson’s resignation, the Palm Beach County School District said on Monday that Latson will no longer serve as principal of the Spanish River High, a school with over 2,000 students, and would instead work in a “district position.”

“It is out of an abundance of concern and respect for the students and staff of Spanish River Community High School that School District Administration has decided to reassign Principal William Latson, effective immediately,” the district announced, adding that Latson “made a grave error in judgment in the verbiage” of his email, which the district and the school board do not support.

The district also noted that Spanish River Community High School has since added more Holocaust education to its curriculum.

While Latson’s new role is to be administrative and out of the classroom, the district did not specify what the former principal will be doing.