Stefan
In a very odd story, an 11-year-old in Tennessee has allegedly been punished by her school for…standup up to kids giving the Nazi salute.
According to BuzzFeed News, who reported the perplexing tale, the girl was sent to the principal’s office after telling a group of students making the Nazi “Sieg Heil” salute “Stop it, put your hands down now.”
Her father spoke out about the incident in a series of tweets.
Please comment with support for my 11-year-old daughter. She was removed from class and sent to the principal’s office for the rest of the day last Thursday for shouting, “Stop it, put your hands down now,” to a group of students giving the Nazi salute. pic.twitter.com/9d9LpI5V5r
— Keith Jacks Gamble (@KeithJGamble) May 14, 2019
The incident was apparently incited when a student, who had been given the unenviable task of portraying Adolf Hitler for a school project, was instructed by the teacher to make the infamous Nazi hand gesture.
According to a fairly dismissive statement from Rutherford County Schools given to BuzzFeed News the gesture was confined to a classroom exercise but as a result “one student became upset and had an outburst.”
However, according to the father of the girl who objected, the Sieg Heiling went on far beyond a brief historical demonstration.
Writing on Twitter, Keith Gamble claimed that it had been going on for some time:
“Children at school have been giving Nazi salutes in the hallways and at recess for weeks, after a teacher assigned a student to give the Nazi salute in a Hitler costume for an assignment.”
Children at school have been giving Nazi salutes in the hallways and at recess for weeks, after a teacher assigned a student to give the Nazi salute in a Hitler costume for an assignment.
— Keith Jacks Gamble (@KeithJGamble) May 14, 2019
Gamble says that when his daughter objected teachers told her not to talk about it and that she has also been “targeted personally with Nazi salutes.”
Each time, my daughter spoke out even though she was told by a teacher “not to address it.” She has been bullied by classmates and targeted personally with Nazi salutes, so school feels lonely sometimes.
— Keith Jacks Gamble (@KeithJGamble) May 14, 2019
Gamble asked the online community to send supportive messages for his daughter and got just that.
✊Rock on! young lady. You did the right thing!
— Monices Pieces (@Monices_Pieces) May 15, 2019
Your daughter is a hero. She's amazing and I'm sure you are so, so proud of her. I can't wait to tell my 11 year old about it, because I could see her doing the same. Let her know she's got a soul-sister in FL. I hope these outpourings of love help to cheer her up!
— The Boho Kitchen (@thebohokitchen) May 15, 2019
All the feels for your daughter. This was my experience as a kid, and it changed me in ways no one could have predicted. Calling out her emotionality as disrespect is an admin excuse I've never heard–way to discipline the wrong party. *hugs* to her. pic.twitter.com/3Vqe3r1QWN
— Rebecca Ann Walker (@rawalkerWSU) May 15, 2019
This was heartbreaking to read keep telling her she is right for standing up and not to let others being her down ??
— REALMRSOPINIONATED (@MRSREALOPINIONS) May 15, 2019
Congratulations on raising a daughter to stand up/speak out against injustice and hate. My daughter (13) is going through similar situations. I remind her that her conscience and integrity are worth more than being popular. There are people who stand with her, she is not alone.
— Andrea (@DreaRene29) May 15, 2019
Inexcusable. Kudos to your courageous girl.
— Dinah Wisenberg Brin (@dinahwbrin) May 15, 2019
h/t: BuzzFeed News