NJ Elementary School Student Causes Outrage for Essay on Hitler

A fifth-grade student in a New Jersey public school handed in an assignment praising Hitler, sparking condemnation by parents and staff.

The student’s report admiringly noted Hitler’s unification of Germany and Austria, writing “[Hitler] was very popular” and “[Hitler] was pretty great.” There was only one reference to the hatred of the Holocaust, NBC 4 reported.

Parents at the Maugham Elementary School in Tenafly have called on the teacher to be fired, saying the teacher failed as an educator by allowing the student to write such an assignment, especially in a time of heightened anti-Semitism.

“The teacher failed to recognize the profound impact this can have on students, family members and others in our community who could perceive this project as condoning or even glorifying the atrocities of one of the most evil individuals in world history, said Jordan Shenker, the CEO of the Palisades JCC.

The Tenafly Board of Education is reviewing the situation and no actions have been reported to have been taken yet.