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2019-07-09 Home Front: Culture Wars

Florida school principal removed for stating he couldn’t say Holocaust happened

[IsraelTimes] A high school in Boca Raton, Florida, removed a principal who told a parent that he needed to remain neutral on whether or not the Holocaust occurred.

The Palm Beach County School District said in a statement Monday that it was aware of remarks made by William Latson in 2018 and had instructed him to expand Holocaust curriculum at Spanish River Community High School and spend time at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

"Despite these efforts, his leadership has become a major distraction for the school community. It is, therefore, in the best interest of students and the larger school community to reassign Mr. Latson to a District position," the school district said in a statement on Monday.

In an email exchange a year ago, in response to a parent who asked how the Holocaust is being taught at the public school, Latson responded that "I can’t say the Holocaust is a factual, historical event because I am not in the position to do so as a school district employee."

Latson’s comments drew wide media coverage after The Palm Beach Post reported on them on Friday.

The school, which has about 2,500 students, is said to have one of the largest Jewish student populations in the county, according to the report.

Latson, who had his job since 2011, apologized in a statement to the Post, saying his email "did not accurately reflect my professional and personal commitment to educating all students about the atrocities of the Holocaust."

Posted by trailing wife 2019-07-09 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 good

Posted by USN, Ret. 2019-07-09 01:09|| 2019-07-09 01:09|| Front Page Top

#2 His referral letter from the board should read, "We can't really say that he ever worked here - it's a matter of opinion..."

Posted by Dron66046 2019-07-09 02:25|| 2019-07-09 02:25|| Front Page Top

#3 This is just SJWness that you approve of.

I actually think William Latson's attitude is the correct one as not deciding the authoritativeness of events and leaving it up to pupils to learn how to decide.

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2019-07-09 06:03|| 2019-07-09 06:03|| Front Page Top

#4 Up to a point BP. Historical facts need to be place in context and students taught what factors to consider in analysis.

For the Holocaust a few of the liberation movies aught to suffice with appropriate captioning, no?

Posted by AlanC 2019-07-09 07:26|| 2019-07-09 07:26|| Front Page Top

#5 to reassign Mr. Latson to a District position

aka kicked upstairs (higher pay, less responsibility, won't sue)

Posted by Procopius2k 2019-07-09 07:45|| 2019-07-09 07:45|| Front Page Top

#6 to reassign Mr. Latson to a District position
aka kicked upstairs (higher pay, less responsibility, won't sue)

A number of fellas made sergeant major in this manner.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-07-09 08:09|| 2019-07-09 08:09|| Front Page Top

#7 Alan C is spot on. I recently watched "D-Day to Berlin", a documentary from personal home movies made by George Stevens as his Army photographic unit followed the troops across Europe. He used his personal camera and color 16 mm Kodachrome, so you see it as it really was. They were present at the liberation of a concentration camp. Thinking about the images now makes me choke up. Every high schooler should have to watch it. Highly recommended.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2019-07-09 09:39|| 2019-07-09 09:39|| Front Page Top

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