Wisconsin High School Investigates Photo of Students Seemingly Doing Nazi Salute
A group of male students at Baraboo High School in Wisconsin, who appear in a prom photo where they seem to be making the Nazi salute, have become the subject of an investigation by their district and the local police, BuzzFeed reports. One of the students is also making a hand gesture that has been used as a symbol of white power.
The photo was reportedly taken at a Baraboo High School prom by photography company Wheel Memories, which posted it on their website. It has since been removed and replaced with a message reading, "Due [to] malevolent behavior on the part of some in society; this page has been modified. It is too bad that there are those in society who can and do take the time to be jerks; knowingly and willingly to be jerks!"
It was also reportedly posted on Twitter with the caption "We even got the black kid to throw it up #barabooproud," according to BuzzFeed News, using a hashtag that is often used to promote the district's events, Baraboo News Republic reported.
The Baraboo School District is currently investigating the incident, according to a statement from superintendent Lori Mueller posted on the district's Twitter page. "If the gesture is what it appears to be, the district will pursue any and all available and appropriate actions, including legal, to address the issue," it reads.
The Baraboo Police Department also tweeted that it was involved in the investigation.
Jon Erpenbach, a Wisconsin state senator representing the district that includes Baraboo, told Baraboo News Republic that he believes Donald Trump has contributed to an atmosphere that allows for behavior like the students'. "Based on what these students see coming from the White House, some of them may believe what they have done is acceptable," he said. "It is absolutely not. Leaders, from the President on down, need to condemn racism in all its forms and work toward a world where we learn from the mistakes of history."
A young professionals group in Baraboo is holding a rally outside the Sauk County Courthouse, where the photo was taken, to "stomp out the negative attention that is currently being brought to [the community] and shadow it with the love that I know this community has," according to a message to members by co-organizer Sherri Schaaf obtained by Baraboo News Republic.
A Twitter thread by journalist Jules Suzdaltsev calls attention to other incidents of alleged racism at Baraboo High School. One person who said she was an alum shared a screenshot with Suzdaltsev of an Instagram comment where she says a classmate allegedly used the N word to describe her. "I am being flooded with messages from students of this school about some of the guys in the group photo," Suzdaltsev also wrote.
Teen Vogue has reached out to both the Baraboo School District and Police Department for comment.
Related: The History of Prom Is Racist and Sexist
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