From the BBC:
“Florida headteacher removed from
post for refusing to call Holocaust a fact”
The headteacher of a US school
has been sacked after telling a parent he would remain neutral on whether or
not the Holocaust happened. William Latson wrote in an email he could not say
"the Holocaust is a factual, historical event". His comments
triggered a backlash, with more than 9,000 people signing an online petition to
have him removed. More than six million Jews were murdered by Nazi Germany
during World War Two, but Holocaust denial persists. Mr Latson's views were
revealed in an email exchange with a parent last year, The Palm Beach Post
reported. The parent, who has not been identified, had wanted to ensure that
the Spanish River Community High School in Boca Raton, Florida, was making
Holocaust education a priority. In an email published by the paper, Mr Latson
said the school had "a variety of activities" on Holocaust education
but added that lessons were "not forced upon individuals as we all have
the same rights but not all the same beliefs". The parent wrote back
asking for clarification, saying: "The Holocaust is a factual, historical
event. It is not a right or a belief." Mr Latson replied: "Not
everyone believes the Holocaust happened. 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. "I do allow
information about the Holocaust to be presented and allow students and parents
to make decisions about it accordingly." On Monday, the Palm Beach County
school authorities said Mr Latson was being reassigned "effective
immediately". In a statement it said the headteacher had "made a
grave error in judgment "and that his leadership had become "a major
distraction for the school community". "In addition to being offensive,
the principal's statement is not supported by either the school district
administration or the school board," it said. In a statement to The Palm
Beach Post, Mr Latson apologised for his comments, saying they did not
"accurately reflect my professional and personal commitment to educating
all students about the atrocities of the Holocaust". "It is critical
that, as a society, we hold dear the memory of the victims and hold fast to our
commitment to counter anti-Semitism," he wrote.
^ It is a sad that people 70 +
years later still question the Holocaust despite all the facts, evidence and
first-hand accounts (from both survivors, victims and the Nazis themselves.) It’s
even worse when people in authority (like teachers, principals, politicians,
etc.) saw or allude that the Holocaust didn’t happen. Those that do should
resign (or be replaced.) They can believe their own lies in their private life,
but should not be allowed to in their public one. ^
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48927322
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