Speaker Who Called Hitler 'Good Leader' At Madison HS Suspended

MADISON, NJ - Nutley High Athletic Director Joseph Piro was suspended by the school board Monday in the wake of his controversial comments praising Adolph Hitler as a "good leader" in a presentation to Madison High School athletes.

According to NJ.com, while Piro was never named by the Nutley Board of Education, supporters who spoke on his behalf confirmed he was employee #1615 in personnel resolution voted on.

During a presentation to Madison High School athletes on March 16, guest speaker Piro showed a photo of Adolf Hitler side-by-side with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. All Madison High School spring athletes were required to attend the assembly, designed to set forth the MHS Athletics Department expectations and to promote positive leadership values and a culture of sportsmanship, officials said.

"During his commentary, the speaker contrasted Dr. King and Hitler, referring to the latter as a 'good leader' with 'bad moral character and intentions,' Madison School officials said in a letter. "Following the presentation, some students and parents voiced serious concerns that the speaker referred to Hitler as a 'good leader' in any regard. The Madison School District shares these concerns."

For their part, Madison School officials pledged to do better in terms of screening speakers. Superintendent Mark Schwarz, Assistant Superintendent Dan Ross, Assistant Superintendent Frank Santora and High School Principal Greg Robertson admitted the presentation was not screened before hand.

"In an effort to turn this unfortunate circumstance into an opportunity to Improve, Madison Public Schools will now require that any presentation given to students by an outside speaker or vendor be reviewed by a school administrator in advance," they said. "We will also be seeking opportunities to partner with organizations that specialize in cultural sensitivity to maximize our efforts in creating an inclusive and emotionally-safe learning environment. We welcome any community members with knowledge of such resources to share them with us."

Officials said that clear, respectful academic analysis of genocide, bigotry and the methods of dictators is a critical focus of the District curriculum and is required by the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. But officials also noted that there is nuanced context of past horrors that need to be explored in order to recognize and protect against future atrocities. And that those lessons should take place in the classroom environment with compassion for victims, under the supervision of qualified teaching professionals.

"It is the position of the Madison Public School District that the inclusion of Adolf Hitler had no place in the context of an assembly intended to promote unity and character. It was unnecessarily provocative and insensitive for the speaker to include the image of a criminal whose legacy includes the systematic torture and slaughter of millions of Jews, the disabled, and others in Eastern Europe," officials said. "If the speaker intended to highlight an example of an effective leader with misguided intentions, a less emotionally charged example would have been more effective and appropriate."

Piro told NJ.com he was trying to make a point that a leader could have strong leadership skills that influence people in a negative way.

“The presentation was not to offend anyone in or outside the Madison public school district. I am truly sorry if I did,” Piro said in the report. “As a 20-year educator who has worked with a wide variety of students that come from very diverse backgrounds, I fully understand and recognize that Adolf Hitler was an evil man who used his skills in a horrific manner.”

The length of Piro's suspension is unclear, but according to the resolution on the district website, the superintendent is authorized to reinstate the employee following "completion of a reentry plan."