The Indianola Community School District in Iowa has apologized after one of its schools used a speech by Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler for its “respect quote of the day.”The incident is one more in a string of antisemitic incidents on school campuses since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. As commander of the Nazi SS during the Second World War, he was responsible for overseeing the holocaust and is well-documented as chief architect of the Final Solution, an abhorrent plot to wipe out the existence of Jews. “My honour is my loyalty,” was the quote of the day on Monday, shared over Indianola Middle School's speakers during morning announcements and later via email to be received by parents across the region. The phrase is actually the motto employed in Nazi Germany by the paramilitary group of the Nazi Party Schutzstaffel (SS), per the New York Post. It was used to demonstrate loyalty to Adolf Hitler.Appalled parents shared the email with the school district, which followed up with an apology. The questionable choice of words, which raised concerns among parents, the community and local historians, appears to have been a mistake. Indianola Superintendent Ted Ihns apologized and called it an “accident.”“This morning (November 20), an administrative staff member accidentally posted a Respect Quote of the Day before checking the source of the quote,” Ihns wrote, per the New York Post. “I first want to apologize for the oversight. While it was completely unintentional, I understand that some of those who saw the quote and realized the source were offended,” the superintendent said. “Moving forward, we will implement a new process for our Respect Quote of the Day to be sure that we are double-checking all sources and ensuring the quotes are appropriate for our students.”“A staff member did not realize that the quote was from a highly inappropriate source.”The staff member in question was not named.
The Indianola Community School District in Iowa has apologized after one of its schools used a speech by Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler for its “respect quote of the day.”The incident is one more in a string of antisemitic incidents on school campuses since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. As commander of the Nazi SS during the Second World War, he was responsible for overseeing the holocaust and is well-documented as chief architect of the Final Solution, an abhorrent plot to wipe out the existence of Jews. “My honour is my loyalty,” was the quote of the day on Monday, shared over Indianola Middle School's speakers during morning announcements and later via email to be received by parents across the region. The phrase is actually the motto employed in Nazi Germany by the paramilitary group of the Nazi Party Schutzstaffel (SS), per the New York Post. It was used to demonstrate loyalty to Adolf Hitler.Appalled parents shared the email with the school district, which followed up with an apology. The questionable choice of words, which raised concerns among parents, the community and local historians, appears to have been a mistake. Indianola Superintendent Ted Ihns apologized and called it an “accident.”“This morning (November 20), an administrative staff member accidentally posted a Respect Quote of the Day before checking the source of the quote,” Ihns wrote, per the New York Post. “I first want to apologize for the oversight. While it was completely unintentional, I understand that some of those who saw the quote and realized the source were offended,” the superintendent said. “Moving forward, we will implement a new process for our Respect Quote of the Day to be sure that we are double-checking all sources and ensuring the quotes are appropriate for our students.”“A staff member did not realize that the quote was from a highly inappropriate source.”The staff member in question was not named.
