Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Niagara

(7,628 posts)
Mon Jul 8, 2019, 07:29 PM Jul 2019

Florida high school principal removed after comments about Holocaust

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A principal in heavily Jewish Boca Raton is out of a job because he refused to say the Holocaust was a real historical event.

Spanish River High School Principal William Latson told a parent that as a public school official he needed to remain “politically neutral” — sensitive to both Holocaust education advocates and people who deny the destruction of 6 million Jews during World War II.

The Palm Beach County School District didn’t see it that way and on Monday assigned Latson to another, unspecified position.

His email exchange with the parent created outrage in Boca Raton, the home of many Holocaust survivors and their descendants, and spurred an investigation by the school district.

A new principal has not yet been named.

“Mr. Latson made a grave error in judgment in the verbiage he wrote in an email stating, ‘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.’ In addition to being offensive, the principal’s statement is not supported by either the School District Administration or the School Board,” the district said Monday.

In an email exchange last year with the parent, Latson wrote:

“Not everyone believes the Holocaust happened and you have your thoughts but we are a public school and not all of our parents have the same beliefs so they will react differently.”

Latson detailed his efforts to implement the school’s Holocaust curriculum, a state mandate since 1994, but wrote that not every family has been amenable to the lessons.

“I work to expose students to certain things but not all parents want their students exposed so they will not be and I can’t force that issue,” Latson wrote.


https://www.bakersfield.com/ap/national/florida-high-school-principal-removed-after-comments-about-holocaust/article_319f3a43-350c-519f-9020-1510a9ca4bc3.html

27 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Florida high school principal removed after comments about Holocaust (Original Post) Niagara Jul 2019 OP
They tried teaching my kids the Pythagorean Theorem jberryhill Jul 2019 #1
Were your kids studying a career choice that used the Pythagorean Theorem? Niagara Jul 2019 #2
No, they stick to isosceles triangles professionally jberryhill Jul 2019 #3
You didn't know it, but the "Isosceles Triangle Police Department" will be contacting you! Stuart G Jul 2019 #4
. jberryhill Jul 2019 #6
Just remember that vertical triangles are equal. yardwork Jul 2019 #14
There are good triangles on both sides. panader0 Jul 2019 #17
Gasp! You can't say that! yardwork Jul 2019 #18
Aren't you over exaggerating a bit? Dr. Strange Jul 2019 #13
Are Euclidean me? jberryhill Jul 2019 #19
Well I wasn't around during the so called Civil War so lunatica Jul 2019 #5
GOOD. Someone this deluded by anti-Semitism should not go anywhere near a school. nt Nay Jul 2019 #7
Yes! Exactly! Thank you! Niagara Jul 2019 #8
Some of this story is very hard to believe.. Stuart G Jul 2019 #9
I'm not sure if the DailyMail is a preferred source here on DU Niagara Jul 2019 #12
He toured the museum after writing those emails. yardwork Jul 2019 #15
+1 Niagara Jul 2019 #22
Maybe he can go work for Trump University. Initech Jul 2019 #10
K&R... spanone Jul 2019 #11
The guy's a frigging moron. cwydro Jul 2019 #16
Yes, I agree with your statement 110% Niagara Jul 2019 #23
I checked this out in other sources..and found that there were several meetings on this Stuart G Jul 2019 #20
Could you link these sources about the meetings for me? Niagara Jul 2019 #21
I found a whole bunch of links by googling "Mr. William Latson" then you will find many links on Stuart G Jul 2019 #24
Thank you for the information, Stuart! Niagara Jul 2019 #25
Unbelievable. Scurrilous Jul 2019 #26
An in depth article about Mr. Latson's meetings with parents and administrators from Palm Beach Post Niagara Jul 2019 #27
 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
1. They tried teaching my kids the Pythagorean Theorem
Mon Jul 8, 2019, 08:09 PM
Jul 2019

I told that teacher that my kids were raised to believe that a hypotenuse can be as long as it wants, and I’m not letting some old dead Greek guy say otherwise.

Niagara

(7,628 posts)
2. Were your kids studying a career choice that used the Pythagorean Theorem?
Mon Jul 8, 2019, 08:22 PM
Jul 2019

After reading this article, I couldn't figure out why we have Holocaust deniers in this country.

Now I know why there are so many of these deniers.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
3. No, they stick to isosceles triangles professionally
Mon Jul 8, 2019, 08:28 PM
Jul 2019

We don’t accept the thinking which declares some triangles to be “right” and other triangles wrong.

Stuart G

(38,436 posts)
4. You didn't know it, but the "Isosceles Triangle Police Department" will be contacting you!
Mon Jul 8, 2019, 08:45 PM
Jul 2019

They contacted me when I failed Geometry back in the day. They wanted to know why I didn't know a triangle from the Pythagorean Theorem. I tried to explain, but they wouldn't listen and they took away all triangles that I had in my house and in addition notified the school that I needed to be moved out of the class..And if you believe that one you need to get some rest from this idiotic world that we live in.

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
5. Well I wasn't around during the so called Civil War so
Mon Jul 8, 2019, 08:49 PM
Jul 2019

it must have simply never happened. Fuck Abraham Lincoln!

Stuart G

(38,436 posts)
9. Some of this story is very hard to believe..
Mon Jul 8, 2019, 09:32 PM
Jul 2019

To use the "administrative bullsh*t on whether or not the Holocaust existed..was actually quite "stupid"...And furthermore, this person will not get another job for being so "stupid." You wage your fights cautiously and intelligently for important reasons. Administrators in schools know this. But this one didn't know it.
..."Not everyone believes the Holocaust happened..." proves that he doesn't believe that it happened. Taking that stance is stupid beyond stupid. Hard to imagine anything so stupid. Maybe, saying there was no racism in Major League Baseball in the 1930s and 1940s would be similar.
...Or, Racism did not exist in Florida in the 1940s. Those two would be similar to this Holocaust non existence crap..But no one could possibly say that .."No racism existed in Florida in the 1940s." Only someone really stupid and ignorant could say that there were different opinions on the idea that... "Racism did and did not exist in the 1940s in Florida." Perhaps if this ex principal had seen it that way, he would have kept his mouth shut.

Niagara

(7,628 posts)
12. I'm not sure if the DailyMail is a preferred source here on DU
Mon Jul 8, 2019, 09:48 PM
Jul 2019

This principal (now former) actually toured the Washington DC Holocaust Memorial Museum. I'll share this link from the DailyMail where there are images of him and the image text under the image states that he toured the museum. It's unbelievable that he toured it and doesn't believe it happened.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7220281/Mother-high-school-student-reveals-principal-failed-state-Holocaust-fact.html



On edit: This principal wanted to remain neutral on the holocaust because some parents believe it never happened.

yardwork

(61,651 posts)
15. He toured the museum after writing those emails.
Mon Jul 8, 2019, 09:54 PM
Jul 2019

Apparently there are some wealthy Holocaust denying bullies in the community. It sounds to me like the principal tried to appease them by falling back on the "administrators have to be neutral" bullshit.

That was stupid. What's next, appeasing Flat Earthers?

Niagara

(7,628 posts)
22. +1
Mon Jul 8, 2019, 10:10 PM
Jul 2019

In Germany, they teach their students about the horrors of the Holocaust. They want their students to be educated in this horrific history.

Initech

(100,081 posts)
10. Maybe he can go work for Trump University.
Mon Jul 8, 2019, 09:41 PM
Jul 2019

Where history didn't happen, science is a myth and the Constitution is a 404 error!

Stuart G

(38,436 posts)
20. I checked this out in other sources..and found that there were several meetings on this
Mon Jul 8, 2019, 09:57 PM
Jul 2019

topic with this principal, parents, and other administrators. Mr. Latson followed up several times with the same crap. Once in front of his supervisors and Board of Education members. He never changed his tune until after it became clear that he was in danger of loosing his job. Then he said something like, "I believe that the Holocaust happened, personally, but many parents still believe that there was no Holocaust."...something like that...

...So he had several chances to correct it, and say it was a wrong statement, but he followed up by saying again that some parents believe that the Holocaust did not happen , and that is why he took that stance. Of course that is not true. Yes, as said earlier...he is a moron. And like others doesn't know it.

But, my point on this post is that this "moron" had several chances in different meetings to change his views, but kept to them till after events happened. It was his administrative stance that was at stake, not his own personal views which were different than his stance.........................................or..........................................

................in other words......................................Mr Latson is a MORON

Stuart G

(38,436 posts)
24. I found a whole bunch of links by googling "Mr. William Latson" then you will find many links on
Mon Jul 8, 2019, 10:16 PM
Jul 2019

this subject. Some have long stories and other do not. But they are there Some, if you look carefully, are from Florida sources, Ft Lauderdale, and others. Some are from national sources. The longer ones verify what I wrote in the above post, but I did not keep those links. But they are still there and you can find them easily. or Mr. William Latson principal in Boca Raton...or , ... william latson boca raton , that will also give a lot of sources...Yes, the sources and links are still there...many..

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Florida high school princ...