A Florida high school principal who last year told a parent that "not everyone believes the Holocaust happened" has been removed from the school and reassigned to a district position instead, officials sasay.
"It is out of an abundance of concern and respect for the students and staff of Spanish River Community High School that School District Administration has decided to reassign Principal William Latson effective immediately," the Palm Beach County school district's board said in a statement Monday, reports CBS News.
"In addition to being offensive, the principal's statement is not supported by either the School District Administration or the School Board."
The district statement added that Latson had "made a grave error in judgment in the verbiage" in his email to a parent who asked in April 2018 how the Holocaust was being taught at the school.
According to copies of the emails obtained by The Palm Beach Post, Latson and the parent corresponded on several occasions, with Larson citing his position as a public school official in saying why he needed to remain neutral on the Holocaust.
"Not everyone believes the Holocaust happened," he told the parent. "You have your thoughts, but we are a public school and not all of our parents have the same beliefs...I can't say the Holocaust is a factual, historical event because I am not in a position to do so as a school district employee."
Latson said he does allow information to be presented and to allow students and parents to "make decisions about it," and that he does "the same with information about slavery."
The principal initially was not punished but instead encouraged to expand the school's Holocaust curriculum and to receive counseling. He also visited the U.S. Holocaust Museum to expand his "personal knowledge," the district said.
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