Parents Say New School Logo Resembles a Nazi Symbol; Atlanta School District Issues Apology

A school district in Atlanta was prompted to issue an apology after its plan to roll out a new school logo for the East Side Elementary School in Georgia was met with complaints and comparisons to a Nazy symbol.

Cobb County School District confirmed Tuesday, July 19, that it will hold off on the release of the new school logo featuring the school mascot. The eagle with its wings spread out and the initials "ES" on its talons was supposed to be inspired by the U.S. Army colonel's eagle wings, per Georgia Public Broadcast. After consultations with the stakeholders, the school district decided on the eagle to represent the students' "soaring into excellence."

Parents were outraged when they saw similarities of the logo's design to the Nazi eagle with a Swastika, which symbolizes white supremacy. It did not help that East Side Elementary School is right across from a Jewish synagogue.

The school officials said that they understand the furor and will be reviewing the logo's design. They agreed that a symbols with similarities to the Nazi are unacceptable.

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Shock, stunned and insulted

Mom Stefanie Ollanove told Fox 5 Atlanta that she was shocked, stunned and insulted by the logo's design as a Jewish whose family is part of the school system. Another mom, Carianne Muse, said she was horrified when she saw the design and did not expect "smart educators" would be remiss about spotting the similarities with a Nazi icon.

Amanda Flaks said she does not know why the new logo was approved. She tried to check on the design a few more times but she felt more sick each time. Dad Mike Albuquerque said that he never wants to see his two boys wearing a school shirt with this new logo.

The American Jewish Committee of Atlanta (AJC) also decried the oversight. The organization found it troubling that no one from the school recognized the problems with the logo when there is a synagogue right across the street.

The AJC also told Daily Mail that this was not the first time the school district had been in a similar Nazi symbolism controversy. Dov Wilker, the AJC director, said the community took a stand against anti-Semitism in 2021 when swastikas were painted across two district high schools during the Jewish holiday. A group of middle school students was also disciplined for sharing anti-Semitic photos on social media early this year.

Wilker accused the school district of being tone-deaf about this issue.

Synagogue receives personal apology from its neighbor

Meanwhile, Marty Gilbert, the executive director of the Congregation Etz Chaim, the school's neighbor, said he complained about the logo by calling East Side Elementary School. The school administration immediately responded with an apology and said that the design will be reviewed and fixed.

Gilbert said that they are moving forward from this issue but acknowledged that the school officials "should've done their homework a little bit better."