Wisconsin District Investigating Photo Showing Apparent Nazi Salute
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – School officials in central Wisconsin have denounced a photo, which appeared on Twitter over the weekend, showing dozens of high school boys posing with an apparent Nazi salute.
Lori Mueller, of the Baraboo School District, said Monday via Twitter that the district will pursue all available options, including legal action, in response to the photo.
The photo of students posted to #BarabooProud is not reflective of the educational values and beliefs of the School District of Baraboo. We are investigating and will pursue any and all available and appropriate actions, including legal, to address.
— Baraboo Schools (@barabooSD) November 12, 2018
The photo appears to have been posted Saturday by the Twitter account @GoBaraboo. The post has since been deleted, but not before being screengrabbed by user @CarlySidey, who tweeted it to district officials.
this post has since been deleted, but i just want @barabooSD to be aware of the disturbing actions that are represented in this photograph. this is BEYOND sickening. pic.twitter.com/Fer5heTted
— carly sidey (@CarlySidey) November 12, 2018
The original post appears to show at least 40 boys in tuxedos raising their arms in the Hitler salute. The post's caption reads: "We even got the black kid to throw it up #barabooproud."
The photo got national attention late Sunday night after being shared by journalist Jules Suzdaltsev, of The Young Turks, who was seeking context for the photo.
I am being flooded with messages from students of this school about some of the guys in the group photo.
It sounds like there is a lot of racist bullying and the school tends to do nothing about it. pic.twitter.com/yvPZWI196A
— Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) November 12, 2018
According to Suzdaltsev, several former and current students flooded him with messages, saying there's racist bullying at the school and officials have done little to stop it.
He also says the photo shows students from the class of 2019 and was taken during their junior prom by one of the student's parents.
Baraboo, Wisconsin, is about 250 miles southeast of the Twin Cities.