Paramus middle school recalls yearbooks after Adolf Hitler photo found in baby pictures section
School officials say a corrected yearbook will be issued as law enforcement and administrators investigate.
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East Brook Middle School collected student yearbooks after discovering that the baby pictures section included an infant photograph of Adolf Hitler, according to a letter sent to families by the school's principal.
Principal Ryan Aupperlee said the image was identified after students had already received their yearbooks. School officials immediately collected the books to prevent the image from remaining in circulation. The administration is conducting an investigation in coordination with law enforcement.
"The presence of this image is unacceptable," Aupperlee wrote. "Even if the image was not immediately recognizable to those paging through the book, its inclusion in an official school publication is a severe breach of our values."
In the letter, Aupperlee said Adolf Hitler represents "hatred, antisemitism, and the horrors of the Holocaust, including the murder of six million Jews," adding that the image "has no place in a yearbook created for our students."
Aupperlee added that the school is working to provide every student with a corrected yearbook and will share additional details with families, including how it will address copies that have already been signed by classmates and teachers.
Aupperlee said the school remains committed to ensuring it reflects "the values of respect, inclusion, and dignity for every member of our community."
A bias incident report was made with the Paramus Police Department and the county prosecutor was notified, police said.
