Indiana high school investigating photo of teens doing Nazi salute
Social media can be a great way to keep in touch or just pass the time. However, it can also have potentially detrimental effects as is the case for one group of teens in Zionsville, Indiana.
Fourteen teens were photographed on-site at Zionsville Community High School, ten of who appear to be using a Nazi salute. Now, school officials are investigating after it was brought to their attention, according to IndyStar.
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Most of the students are wearing shirts associated with an indoor soccer team called the Rumblin’ Bumblers while one is wearing a Zionsville school jersey.
The photo was first posted to Instagram, and Fox59 reports its caption stated, “Rumblin bumblers isn’t just a indoor soccer team, we are a cultural phenomenon.”
The IndyStar reports the Rumblin’ Bumblers is a soccer team that plays at Off The Wall Sports, which is an indoor facility in Carmel, Indiana. While the team is also mentioned in the high school’s 2018 yearbook, it does not appear that they are directly affiliated with the school.
Despite this, the photo, which was taken on school property, was later confirmed in an email sent to parents, staff and faculty Thursday evening. In the email, Zionsville Superintendent Scott Robison says the photo was brought to their attention after a concerned student forwarded the image to a teacher who then sent it to Robison.
Robison described the photo as “sickening” and “beyond offensive to students, staff, parents, extended family members and to an inestimable number of people in the wider world.”
“Our school community’s efforts to foster cultural understanding will proceed, though they are set back mightily by this repugnant image,” Robison stated in the email.
The Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council shared an image of the letter on their Facebook page, and stated, “the JCRC has already been in contact with the school district and will be working with them closely to bring more resources [and] support.”
You can see the full letter below.
A Weebly-based site hosting the team’s page was taken down as of Friday morning. Prior to being removed, IndyStar reports the site referenced team nicknames, one of which was “Judenschlau,” which translates to “clever Jew” in German.
Another nickname referenced a Caramel-based hazing incident and a third referenced Albert Fish, a child rapist, serial killer and cannibal. They also allegedly used racist language and alluded to raping an opposing team, the IndyStar reports. It is unclear if the team was updating the site themselves or the last time changes were made to it.
You can view the photo in question below.
Zionsville investigates after students appear to perform Nazi salute in ‘sickening’ photo https://t.co/dPKPqd6qOC pic.twitter.com/jJzsd8KXSv
— IndyStar (@indystar) January 18, 2019
Anti-semitic jokes in the scene
Other photos of teens using the Nazi salute have surfaced over the past several months, but it also made its way into the music scene in November. The Wrecks frontman Nick Anderson made jokes regarding Nazis, abortions and miscarriages during the band’s set.
Several videos arose, but one shows Anderson doing the Nazi salute while fans cheered. He later says, “What you doing? No, no. Don’t you see what I’m doing you fucking Nazi fucks?”
Anderson later took to Twitter to issue an apology.
“I made a few insensitive jokes on stage last night. I wanna apologize to those who may have been offended. Obviously I have a very sarcastic sense of humor (shown in every video we release) and it’s never meant to hurt or offend, but last night was foolish. I’m sorry. Love y’all.”
He also added that the joke he made was taken from Bo Burnham and that his actions “did not come from a place of malice.” After receiving backlash Anderson released a second “overdue apology” a few days later.
