A third-grade teacher from Washington, D.C., has been put on leave and is currently under investigation after allegedly asking the students to do a holocaust re-enactment, which was not part of the approved lesson plan.
According to reports, the teacher from Watkins Elementary School assigned a student to play Adolf Hitler and there were also other students instructed to play the victims who had to dig their "mass graves" or pretend they were choking inside the "gas chamber." The other children, who are in the ages of eight and nine years old, were also asked to simulate a mass shooting.
One parent, who is Jewish, reported the holocaust re-enactment to The Washington Post and believed that the kids were told by the teacher to never tell this activity to anyone. However, some of the kids informed their homeroom instructor about the concerning school task.
School Addresses the Issue
Principal MScott Berkowitz told the parents, in a letter acquired by CNN, that they were made aware of the holocaust re-enactment. They also know of the allegations that the teacher used hate speech during the class activity.
Though the teacher was not named, Berkowitz said that the actions will not be tolerated in their school. An investigation into the incident has been launched by the DC Public Schools Comprehensive Alternative Resolution and Equity Team.
According to USA Today, the teacher involved was forced to quit her job in 2013 for scamming a school district in New Jersey by billing them for "homeschooling services" for her two kids. However, her children were actually enrolled and attending an actual public school at another school district.
Holocaust Re-enactment Traumatized the Kids
"This was not an approved lesson plan, and we sincerely apologize to our students and families who were subjected to this incident," the principal stated in the letter. The students were also given access to the school's mental health response team because they have been struggling since the activity.
According to Fox DC, some of the kids were sobbing, crying and in distress when their parents picked them up after classes on that day. Days later, some of the kids have been having nightmares or were scared to report to class because the teacher would be there. One mother said that the kid who had to play Hitler was "not doing well at all." Another mother said that they want accountability for what happened, citing that an apology from the school nor the teacher will not be enough.
According to UNESCO, lessons about the holocaust should serve to highlight the dangers of prejudice, discrimination and dehumanization. In some states, the holocaust is discussed in classes to discourage bigotry, which has become a growing sentiment in the U.S.
Despite historical evidence, holocaust deniers also continue to exist and rewrite this part of history that changed the world. The purpose of holocaust lessons is also meant to teach the children to understand that horrific acts against humans must never happen again.
