‘MISGUIDED INSTRUCTION’

Teacher, Principal Put on Leave in Hitler Essay Uproar

Students were told to write a biography from the point of view of someone good or evil.

An uproar over a student essay written from the perspective of Adolf Hitler has led to a teacher and the principal being placed on leave. The superintendent of schools in Tenafly, New Jersey, said the fifth grader had received “misguided instruction” for the assignment to write a biography from the point of view of someone good or evil, and that the school erred in publicly displaying the essay, NorthJersey.com reported. “This has had a devastating impact on the student involved and their family, who have been thrown into turmoil through no fault of their own,” Superintendent Shauna DeMarco wrote, adding, “It has also been incredibly painful for our Jewish community members in the face of increasing instances of antisemitism around the country.” The teacher and principal of Maugham Elementary are on paid leave until a district investigation is completed.