Mountain Brook School Board Addresses Anti-Semitic Video

MOUNTAIN BROOK, AL — The Mountain Brook Board of Education addressed an anti-Semitic video featuring a Mountain Brook student circulating over social media. In a letter to the community, the board wrote that they express "complete horror and sadness" over the incident.

"The behavior in this video is inexcusable in every context," the board said in the letter. "The ease of dissemination in this age of technology is disturbing, dangerous and scary. But even more disturbing, dangerous and scary is the fact that these ideologies are held by anyone within our community. There should be no place held for even a single incident of hate. Period. Furthermore, we want to acknowledge the discussions and comments that have been shared suggesting that dangerous ethnophobia may be more common among our community than we would like to admit. We simply cannot accept this."

The video featured a shirtless Mountain Brook High School student with swastikas and the word "Heil" written on his back in ink, with other teens surrounding him and laughing.

Although the incident did not occur on school grounds, the board said the actions "reflect poorly on us as a school and community." The board added that it is working closely with the Anti-Defamation League, the Birmingham Jewish Federation and various community clergy, and is beginning to assemble a committee that will help provide feedback in addressing diversity issues, identifying areas for growth in honoring diversity and proposing solutions for situations if incidents arise. This will be a committee of community members, parents, students, teachers and administrators, and it will have an ongoing role moving forward, the board said.

"Our school system believes and understands that there needs to be a comprehensive, well-thought-out plan that will incorporate cultural sensitivity and acceptance, embed it into our curriculum starting in Pre-K and continuing through graduation and hopefully shift the paradigm of ideology toward love, acceptance and tolerance of differences," the board said in conclusion. "We will all be better for it, and we are committed to this endeavor."