Jewish Groups, District Address Mountain Brook High Incident

MOUNTAIN BROOK, AL —Two local Jewish organizations and Mountain Brook Schools released statements on Tuesday about a photo and video circulating on social media showing a few students in a Mountain Brook High School classroom rendering a Nazi salute during a teacher-led lesson. A few accounts of the incident suggested the salute was being made toward the American flag.

In the photo, not all students pictured are making the gesture.

The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and Birmingham Jewish Federation (BJF) —in a joint statement — and the school district said they have been working together to address the incident, which the district said was reported to the school administration on Jan. 18.

"The Jewish Community Relations Council and The Birmingham Jewish Federation were made aware of the incident several weeks ago and have been in communication with the administration at Mountain Brook Schools as the situation has unfolded," the Jewish organizations said in their statement.

The school district said it investigated and learned that the video comes from a U.S. history class where the teacher was giving a lesson about how meanings of symbols can be drastically changed.

The example the teacher gave, the district said, was the one-arm Bellamy Salute, which was named for Francis Bellamy, writer of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Later, a similar symbol was adopted by the Nazi Party in the 1920's. Due to the atrocities committed by the Nazi Party against humanity, the symbol's meaning in America changed and the American flag salute was changed to a hand over the heart in 1942, the district said.

"The picture and 3-second video being circulated are not representative of the lesson, what was being taught, or the context of the instruction that was occurring," Mountain Brook Schools said in its statement. "Any representation that this picture or video represents a Mountain Brook teacher attempting to instruct students on how to use the Nazi Party Salute or instruct them to use the salute towards the American flag is unequivocally false. No students were asked to raise their hand for any reason."

The Jewish organizations said there had been "multiple accounts circulating about what was happening in the classroom that day," but said it had been explained that the gesture was part of a lesson about how symbolism evolves through the course of history.

Both parties acknowledged the lesson should have been taught differently.

"We have had meaningful dialogue with Mountain Brook Schools regarding the inappropriateness of demonstrating the salute, especially in a high school classroom. They have assured us that they have had these same discussions with the teacher," the JCRC and BJF said.

The JCRC and BJF statement continued: "It is our understanding that Mountain Brook Schools will continue to deal with this situation in an effective and sensitive manner. We find these types of incidents very troubling. It is our belief that they are also an opportunity for education and we hope to work closely with Mountain Brook to prevent further situations."

Mountain Brook Schools said it has addressed the issue with the teacher and "education has and will continue to be provided."

"Understanding the sensitive nature of this subject, Mountain Brook Schools has addressed the instructional strategy used with the teacher and does not condone the modeling of this salute when a picture or video could accurately convey the same message," the school district said.

The district continued: "We understand the impact of this issue on our community and families and will continue to work to help promote support and education on this issue."

The JCRC, according to its literature, serves as a liaison from the Jewish community to the broader community, most importantly in schools. The organization offers educational resources to area schools so that they may be knowledgeable and accommodating to Jewish students' needs, especially around the Jewish holidays.

Additionally, through the Alabama Holocaust Education Center, the JCRC provides resources for teacher training and primary and secondary resources through which to sensitively teach the Holocaust, according to the organization.

The group also provides a form through which community members can report antisemitic incidents.

The BJF is the local Jewish community's central fundraising, community relations and community development agency, according to its website.