Community outraged after California high schoolers form a human swastika

A group of high school students in California have sparked widespread outrage after forming a human swastika on their football field. The disturbing image was posted on social media, accompanied by an antisemitic quote from Adolf Hitler, sparking fear and anger among the local Jewish community.

The post quickly gained attention, garnering over 500 comments on Reddit before being removed by Instagram. The school's principal, Beth Silbergeld, confirmed that the incident was reported and assured that disciplinary action would be taken, although she refused to disclose the identities of the students involved or the specifics of the punishment.

While the district acknowledged that this incident does not reflect the values of most students and families, many in the community were deeply disturbed by the image. Maya Bronicki from the Bay Area Jewish Coalition attributes the incident to a lack of proper Holocaust education and historical context on hate symbols, emphasizing the importance of inclusive education and anti-hate measures.

Representatives from the Bay Area Jewish Coalition have expressed shock and heartbreak at the students' actions, stating that such blatant displays have a profound impact on the community. The school district has announced plans to work with local organizations to address the harm caused by this incident, fostering a more compassionate and inclusive environment for all students.

This disturbing event highlights the ongoing struggle against hate and intolerance in our society, particularly among young people who are often impressionable and vulnerable to extremist ideologies. As schools strive to create safe and welcoming spaces, it is essential that they prioritize comprehensive education on tolerance, empathy, and respect for diversity.

This is so messed up . I mean, come on kids - do you really know the history of the swastika? It's a symbol of hate, not some harmless logo . The fact that they would intentionally use it to hurt people's feelings is just disturbing . And what's even worse is that there are parents out there who are letting their kids get away with this kind of behavior without teaching them the value of empathy and kindness .

It's not just about the students involved, it's about creating a culture where hate isn't tolerated . Schools have to do better in teaching critical thinking and historical context so that kids like these don't form in the first place . And to the parents who are defending this behavior... what's wrong with you? Where was your kid when all this was happening? You need to take responsibility for raising compassionate human beings, not breeding haters .

Anyway, I'm glad the school district is taking steps to address this and make things right . Education is key in preventing hate from spreading, so let's hope they follow through on their promises .

this is just heartbreaking... I mean, these kids didn't even think about the pain & suffering of others before posting that image... it's like they're stuck in a different world where hate & intolerance are okay... it breaks my heart to see our young generation being influenced by such toxic ideologies... we need more empathy & compassion, not less... schools gotta do better in educating kids about the harm caused by hate symbols & the importance of inclusivity... let's all take a moment to think about how our actions can impact others & strive for kindness & understanding

Ugh, this is so heartbreaking I mean, I get that we can't be perfect and that everyone's gonna make mistakes, but this is just a major bummer . As someone who loves old-school movies and music (remember the good ol' days of cinema?! ), I feel like we're repeating the same mistakes over and over again. The whole swastika thing is just so... ugh! Can't these kids research a bit more? Did they even learn about the Holocaust in school?! It's not that hard, guys! Just some basic understanding of what hate symbols are and why they're bad would've prevented this mess.

And what really gets me is that it's just so... preventable . If we had better education on tolerance, empathy, and respect for diversity, none of this would happen. It's like we're stuck in a time warp or something! The school's gotta do more than just give these kids a slap on the wrist – they need to really dive into why this happened and how they can prevent it in the future.

Anyway, I'm gonna go listen to some classic tunes (think Elvis or The Beatles ) and try to forget about this whole thing. It's just too much for my nostalgia-loving brain

come on guys... how hard is it to learn about the history of hate symbols? this isn't some obscure thing from another country's past, it's a symbol of genocide and hate that we should all be familiar with this school could've taken a chance to educate themselves instead of just pretending like everything's fine what's worse is that they posted it on social media for the whole world to see... now you're gonna have some kids walking around with a big target on their backs

Wow this incident is so messed up... I mean, can you even imagine what the Jewish community must be feeling right now? Like, totally unacceptable behavior from these students. Interesting how some people are already downplaying it as an isolated incident but honestly, it's just a symptom of a bigger problem

Ugh, this is just so messed up ... I mean, I know we've got a lot of issues with hate symbols and all, but forming a human swastika on a football field is just plain sick . And to make matters worse, they're using an antisemitic quote from Hitler - that's just not okay at all, you feel? I'm so glad the school's principal took action and promised disciplinary measures, but it's still really frustrating that we can't seem to get this stuff across to our youth. Education on tolerance, empathy, and respect for diversity is key - it's not rocket science, guys ...

I'm soooo disappointed in these students... they dont even no about the harm they can cause . I mean, a human swastika on a football field? It's just not okay, you feel? The fact that they posted it on social media and thought it was a joke is just wow... how clueless can u be? We need to educate our youth about the Holocaust and the impact of hate symbols, like Maya said. Its not just about learnin from history, its about treatin others with respect and kindness. The school district is doin the right thing by takin disciplinary action, but they should also be teachin these kids about empathy and inclusivity in school .

OMG, this is so sickening ! Can't believe these students would do something like that, especially with a history book or whatever... it's just careless & thoughtless. I mean, what were they even thinking? The fact that the principal didn't wanna share who was behind it is pretty shady tho . But seriously, this is just a big deal for the Jewish community and we gotta take responsibility for our education system to make sure this kinda thing never happens again

I'm still trying to process what I saw online... like, how could someone think it's okay to post a swastika on social media? And for them to do it at school of all places! It just goes to show that some people can be so clueless when it comes to the impact of their actions. I mean, education is everything, and if we don't teach kids about the horrors of the Holocaust and the importance of respecting others, how are they going to grow up to be empathetic and understanding people? It's just heartbreaking that some people have to live with this kind of hate and fear.

omg I'm still trying to process this... like what was going through those kids' minds? forming a swastika on the football field is just so not okay, you know? I feel bad for the Jewish community who had to see that... it's like they're literally bringing back pain and trauma.
I mean, we need more education about history, especially the Holocaust, it's not something to be taken lightly. And those kids are just going to move on like nothing happened, while the Jewish community is still dealing with the aftermath. It's just so unfair .
We gotta do better as a society, prioritize empathy and respect for diversity... it's not that hard, but it takes effort.

Umm... I wonder what's more disturbing - the fact that some teens thought it was a good idea to recreate a hate symbol or that they actually believed the person who wrote those awful words? Like, come on guys, get your history lesson together! And btw, doesn't 500 comments say something about how many people are still struggling with these issues? It's not just high school students making this stuff up, it's a whole community that's feeling hurt and angry. Schools need to do better than just 'taking action', they need to have real conversations about why we can't even talk about hate symbols without being triggered

I mean come on , what's next? A swastika on a high school field is just unacceptable, you know? It's like, yeah we get it, some people might think it's edgy or whatever, but newsflash: that symbol has one of the worst histories ever! I'm not buying that it was just a stupid joke or misinterpretation... schools gotta be on top of this kind of stuff . Can't stress enough how important education is in preventing hate crimes and promoting empathy... like, what even happened to the kids who didn't learn about the Holocaust?

I'm literally shaking my head ... can't believe what some students would do to hurt others like that . I know we're in high school right now and all, but come on! The Nazis are like, super dead history, you know? Like, Hitler and the whole thing was so not a cool or relatable movement . It's just so sad that some people don't understand what hate symbols really mean and how they hurt others . I'm all for inclusivity and teaching about different cultures and histories, but this is like, on a totally different level ... we need to make sure our schools are doing everything possible to prevent something like this from happening again . It's just not right that some kids would use an image of a swastika like that and then post it online for everyone to see ... the school needs to do better than just saying they'll take disciplinary action , we need concrete change .

I'm so sorry this happened! It's just heartbreaking when something like this makes a community feel so targeted and scared. I think we need to have an honest conversation with our kids about the hurtful history of symbols like swastikas and how they can be used to hurt others. We gotta make sure everyone knows that hate is not okay, no matter where you're from or what you believe in

And can we please talk about why Instagram didn't catch this sooner? Like, I get it, sometimes people post stuff without thinking, but there's got to be better ways for us to police this kind of thing. As a society, we need to prioritize kindness and respect over "free speech"

I mean, come on, who does this kinda thing? a human swastika on the football field, yikes! and then to post it online with some antisemitic quote from Hitler... that's just messed up. I think Maya Bronicki is right, we need better Holocaust education and historical context on hate symbols so people don't get caught up in this stuff. it's so sad that it took a incident like this to make the school district realize they need to do something. hopefully they can take steps to prevent this kind of thing from happening again.

[Image of a swastika with a big X marked through it ]

[An image of a group of students holding "Hate is Not Cool" signs ]

[A picture of Adolf Hitler with a red "X" over his head ]

[The Meme Dropper approves the plan to work with local organizations to address hate and intolerance ]

I mean, come on... this is getting out of hand! A bunch of high school students think it's cool to make a giant swastika on the football field? Like, what's next? They're basically glorifying hate and extremism. And to make matters worse, they're trying to pass off this as some kind of "edgy" joke. Newsflash: it's not funny, it's despicable.

I'm all for having tough conversations about history and the importance of respecting diversity, but come on, kids! You can't just learn about this stuff in a classroom and then go out and make it real-life with your own twisted symbols. It's not cool, it's not edgy, it's just plain messed up.

Ugh, can you even believe this? A group of high school students thought it was a good idea to recreate the swastika on their football field and post it online with an antisemitic quote from Hitler. Like what's wrong with these kids?! They're lucky their parents didn't take away their phones and social media privileges for life. I mean, come on, how hard is it to learn about the Holocaust and its impact on people's lives? It's not like it's a distant history lesson or something. This is about respecting your fellow human beings and promoting inclusivity. The fact that these kids thought this was okay says more about them than it does about the school or the community. We need to be having conversations about hate, intolerance, and empathy in schools from a young age. It's not just about stopping this kind of behavior, it's about creating a culture where everyone feels welcome and valued.

This is absolutely disgusting! I mean, come on guys, a human swastika on a football field? What's next, a Nazi flag flying high? It's like they're trying to revive some dark history or make a joke out of it. Newsflash: anti-Semitism is never okay and has serious consequences for the Jewish community.

I'm all for free speech, but this kind of hate speech can't be tolerated. It's not just about punishing the students; it's about teaching them (and the rest of us) what's acceptable and what's not. We need to make sure our schools are safe spaces for everyone, regardless of their background or identity.

This incident is a wake-up call for us all. If we don't educate ourselves and our kids about tolerance, empathy, and respect, we'll be stuck in this hate-fueled cycle forever . Let's take this as an opportunity to have some real conversations about hate and inclusivity – and make sure everyone knows that this kind of behavior won't be tolerated