Students photographed appearing to give Nazi salute protected by free-speech, Wisconsin school district says
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Officials with a Wisconsin school district have admitted free-speech rights would make it difficult to discipline the high school students who appeared to be delivering Nazi salutes in a photo.
The controversial image that went viral earlier this month was taken last spring outside the Sauk County Courthouse in Baraboo, Wisconsin. The image was posted on a Twitter account earlier this month, making the rounds across the internet.
PHOTOGRAPHER SAYS HE TOLD STUDENTS TO ‘WAVE GOODBYE’ IN CONTROVERSIAL PHOTO: REPORT
The image, which included about 60 boys, drew widespread condemnation because of the appearance that some of the students are giving a Nazi salute.
Peter Gust, the photographer who took the picture, said the image was “taken out of context” and was as “innocent as boys and girls going to prom.” He said he told the boys to “wave goodbye” before heading off to their prom.
The school district said it would investigate the incident and what led to the students making the gesture. The State Journal reported that Baraboo Superintendent Lori Mueller said in a letter to parents Wednesday that officials cannot know the “intentions in the hearts” of those involved.
She also said the district isn’t in a position to punish the students because they are protected by the First Amendment. Her letter said part of the district’s investigation was completed.
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Jasper,
What that means is that a video would have shown the hands waving back and forth in a good bye wave. That, of course, would not have allowed the professional "Nazi hunting Resistance" to exploit the picture for their own purposes.
Correct. The Internet's social media comments and seeds exploded with misinformation, assumptions, and hatred toward the school and boys when the photo was first posted. A video would have shown the facts.
"Nazi hunting Resistance" is an interesting and often accurate phrase. Today, almost every photo showing someone who is simply waving is glibly labeled a Nazi.
A prolonged good bye is typically the arm raised and bent at the elbow a little, palm facing outward, and fingers sometimes slightly flayed. Waving is optional. These students are not waving good bye.
Only a video would show what you described. A photograph captures a single second in time. Big difference.
You're entitled to your opinion, even though none of us have first-hand knowledge of what happened.
As the old saying goes....one picture speaks a thousand words and that picture is not that of waving good bye.
It isn't?
You were there? Awesome!
So did they properly click their heels while giving the salute?
Because I was given the impression by everyone that was, commented that the photographer told them to wave.
I do not know why you care so much but that was plainly no wave. It was a salute and maybe I am getting old but anyone graduating high school should understand the political implications of that particular salute. So, either those boys were being provocative or else they are all just a bunch of stupid dumbass buttheads. I think they knew but regret getting called out for such a foolish mean spirited poorly considered stunt...
Yes, I wonder how many schools are going to be knocking down their doors to recruit or accept them. Foolish kids. They have no understanding that anything posted on social media and the internet is there forever.
A stupid thing to do that could impact them for some time.
Bullshit.
It was clearly a wave. Demonizing these kids is simply typical evil liberal racebaiting.
But we know what she wants it to say. And that's sad.
True. Interesting that they are all doing the exact same thing at the same time. If they were waving, their arm positions would be different. They aren't.
Are they? Look again.
Yeah, ok . . . that might not be true.
Knee-jerk, uninformed condemnations were clearly unwarranted.
But very progressive.
Faux outrage by lying liberals...
Anyone with eyes can see that many of these kids are doing a Nazi salute.
Only in Trumpworld are they not.
Give it up, John. Your comment is ridiculous. Here are moments in time (still photographs, not videos), of Obama, Hillary, and Bernie seeming to also give Nazi salutes :
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1195&bih=595&ei=EFT8W6OSBann_Qbm1aWoBw&q=obama+nazi+salute&oq=obama+nazi+salute&gs_l=img.3...2078.6889..7038...0.0..0.108.1043.16j1......0....1..gws-wiz-img.....0..0.Ys5ZVsdGmdU#imgrc=_
Certain people are lying about what happened there. Or maybe they are simply Trump like and don't know what the hell was going on.
There were about 60 boys on those steps. About two thirds of them have their arms up or extended. Many of them have their arms extended as you would in a Nazi salute. Any other "fact finding" about this photo is BS. That includes the photographer and anybody else. People don't wave good bye with their arms extended out.
Oh, so the school district says they have a "right" , via free speech, to do it. They have a "right" to make offensive gestures ? Ok, when one of them gives the principal the finger I hope the school district remembers that.
My comment is specific to this photo.
I don't believe the photographer's "official statement", or to put it another way, he knew something was amock and didn't stop it. There was a student there who said that they were giving the Nazi salute. He chose not to.
Now maybe these kids thought it was funny. Personally, I don't. And if they don't understand what that salute means, there is a huge problem with our education system.
Hi Perrie. Thanks for stopping by and giving your input. In your CBS interview, Jordan Blue's comments contradict what he told CNN. In the CNN interview (see video link below), he said that the photographer didn't tell the kids to give a salute and that he didn't hear any of his classmates mention giving a salute. Although he said that he felt afraid/scared and that waving went against his beliefs, his comments are confusing.
It's difficult for anyone to understand what Jordan meant by the above.
Don't know why you keep trying to make excuses for these kids. It's not working.
I could've been as simple as the photographer wanting a picture of the boys waving, but motion would cause a blur, so he may have stated that just hold the pose as if it were the nazi salute and that's where Jordan and others declined.
You will not find one shred of evidence that proves I've made excuses for these kids.
Unlike others, I've presented all sides of the coin and have refrained from passing judgment regarding a situation that I did not personally witness.
Maybe you should watch the CNN interview I posted, because your comment is the exact opposite of what Jordan said.
It's not difficult at all. He admitted the photographer didn't specifically ask them for a Nazi salute but just asked them to raise their hands. Some in the group thought it would be funny to do the salute and peer pressured others to follow suit. This young man decided not to participate in the groups shenanigans because, as he said, "It did not represent my morals and I could not do something that I didn’t believe in". What we have here are some stupid kids thinking it would be funny to go with Nazi salute instead of finger bunny ears to screw up a photo. A handful likely knew what it meant and wanted to be subversive, the rest just followed along like Lemmings too afraid to be singled out to go against the grain.
I think you are right, but it should also be said that this school has had a problem with racism.
That's your assumption.
Yes, but in the CNN interview, Jordan never mentioned Nazi salute in direct correlation to his decision. All he said was that he was afraid/scared about waving.
That's your assumption.
In his CNN interview, Jordan said that he "thinks" his classmates knew what a Nazi salute represented. The rest of your comment is your assumption.
Hi Jasper,
A whole group of kids doing the same thing is not an accident. That is not waving. If it was one or two or even 5 of them I would agree it was much about nothing, but that is not the case. There is other video of the kid sound less confused, and some other classmates making comments that these kids knew.
As I've previously said -- I won't assume or pass judgment on these students based upon one photograph and/or the interviews that only one student gave to CBS and CNN.
Yeah I see what you mean, he is all over the place, almost like he is thrust into his 15 minutes of fame and wants to go with the narrative but doesn't want to throw his classmates under the bus. I believe he didn't even know what was going on with all the boys talking and screwing around which is why he was just standing there and didn't even know the picture existed. Another boy that didn't know the picture was taken was the one in the front row who just picked his nose and was rolling and trying to flick the booger off his finger.
Jordan, who professed he was gay, also self segregated himself from the rest, he is standing by himself slightly apart from everyone. This picture was for the prom which may be why he was uncomfortable being there, who was he taking? Usually you stand with your friends in groups like this, he is not standing with anyone.
Oh and the nazi salute is with your fingers and thumb tight together and a wave is with the fingers slightly separated.
Look at their hands. Their arms are extended out with the palms basically down. That is not how people friendly wave at one another. Why do some have to lie about this photo?
Rather than lie, I actually examined the photo blown up in size. Many of these boys are doing a Nazi salute. I don't give a damn what the photographer says. He is the one with a motive to lie.
Well now we finally know that you personally know Peter Gust. Thanks!