A school event, which was supposed to be for fun, turned controversial in a high school in Memphis, Tennessee. A few students decided to come dressed as Adolf Hitler for its "Villain Day" on Wednesday, Sept. 21, as part of its Homecoming Week celebrations. However, some parents were outraged by what they saw.
One parent, Sherita Miller, told WREG, that she saw a student dressed as Hitler "standing in the building of Bartlett High and saluting." Another parent said that dressing up as the German dictator, who sparked the Holocaust, crossed the line. "It offends a large group of people," Dan Tilley said, citing that it was inappropriate especially with what's going on around the world.
Photos of the students dressed in villain costumes were being shared on social media, which is why locals in Memphis got wind of what the kids were wearing. The matter has escalated into a debate on WREG's Facebook page.
Despite the parents' indignation, some believe that dressing up as Hitler for Villain Day was perfectly fine. "It's called freedom of speech," said one comment on the page. "I really don't understand what the uproar is about. It was a costume day and they are teenagers," another Memphis local said.
Bartlett High was supposedly celebrating different themes for Homecoming Week and it was the students who picked these themes. The school administration supervises the events.
Soon after the photos of students dressed as Hitler made rounds on the internet, Bartlett City Schools received the complaints from parents and concerned citizens. However, the school has released a statement saying that the event was "heavily monitored," Metro reports.
The school authorities apparently didn't find any student wearing Hitler costumes and received no actual complaints on the day itself. Instead, parents have been asked to seek out Bartlett City Schools personally if they have any more concerns about Wednesday's event.
