High School Apologizes After Yearbook Contained Quotes From Hitler, Stalin, Islamic State Leader
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Quaker Valley High School officials are apologizing and offering refunds on the school's yearbook after it contained offensive quotes from Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The Tribune-Review reports an email was sent to parents Wednesday apologizing to parents, and offering students a refund, or stickers to cover up the offensive material.
The Trib says the statement read: "This is a regrettable mistake, as the school district would never knowingly condone this messaging in a school-sponsored publication," and was signed by Superintendent Heidi Ondek, Principal Deborah Riccobelli, and yearbook sponsor and English teacher Tamra Rosa.
Some of the "offensive quotes" included: "Words build bridges into unexplored regions," attributed to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler; "Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, so why would we let them have ideas?" attributed to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin; and "Be just: the unjust never prosper. Be valiant. Keep your word, even to your enemies," attributed to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State terrorist group.
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School board President Sarah Heres told the Trib she is "confident steps will be taken to ensure this lack of oversight does not happen again."