An Iowa school district has been forced to apologize after staff quoted from Nazi Holocaust architect Heinrich Himmler in its morning announcement for 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 kids and parents on Monday.
The school later apologized, saying ‘a staff member did not realize that the quote was 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 occurred amid a spike in anti-Semitic incidents observed on campuses around the US after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Indianola Superintendent Ted Ihns issued an apology to students and families after the quote sparked controversies and raised concerns among local historians
The Indianola Community School District was forced to apologize after a staff quoted from Nazi Holocaust architect Heinrich Himmler in its morning announcement for students
The phrase was originally used as a motto in Nazi Germany by Heinrich Himmler (pcitured) to show his loyalty to Adolf Hitler
Himmler led the Nazi SS during World War II, and was primarily 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 Indianola Middle School’s public address system.
Some families shared the email with KCCI, along with the subsequent email apologizing for the quote.
Indianola Superintendent Ted Ihns issued an apology to students and families after the quote sparked controversies and raised concerns among local historians.
‘This morning (Nov. 20), an administrative staff member accidentally posted a Respect Quote of the Day before checking the source of the quote,’
‘I first want to apologize for the oversight. While it was completely unintentional, I understand that some of those who saw the quote and realized the source were offended.
‘Moving forward, we will implement a new process for our Respect Quote of the Day to be sure that we are double-checking all sources and ensuring the quotes are appropriate for our students.
It’s not clear what the new process will be implemented and the staff who used the quote was not named.
Himmler led the Nazi SS during World War II, and was primarily known as one of the main architects of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany
The Education Department announced the inquiries on Thursday, calling it part of the Biden administration’s effort to take ‘aggressive action’ against discrimination
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks with students during a visit to Towson University to discuss anti-Semitism on college campuses, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023
The quote incident came days after the Department of Education launched investigations into schools after complaints of anti-Semitism and islamophobia on campus.
The Department of Education announced the inquiries on Thursday, calling it part of the Biden administration’s effort to take ‘aggressive action’ against discrimination.
The schools being investigated include one 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 Department of Education has concluded their investigation, they will be making recommendations to the institutes.
Schools found to have violated civil rights law can face penalties up to a total loss of federal money, although the vast majority of cases end in voluntary settlements.
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said: ‘Hate has no place in our schools, period.
‘When students are targeted because they are—or are perceived to be—Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, or any other ethnicity or shared ancestry, schools must act to ensure safe and inclusive educational environments where everyone is free to learn.’
All of the investigations were opened 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 heinous 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 is seen above
Since the conflict in the Middle East started last month, campuses have seen a rise in tension over the war.
The conflict has prompted strong international reactions, ranging from peaceful protests to acts of violent anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
The Anti-Defamation League reported 832 antisemitic incidents of assault, vandalism, and harassment between October 7 and November 7.
The organization documented nearly 400 percent spike in incidents in the US between October 7 and October 23.
Earlier this month, Cornell student Patrick Dia confessed to FBI agents that he made heinous 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’, referring to himself as ‘Hamas’.