A Fullerton School District school opted this week to remove Nazi symbols from their sixth-graders’ performance of the play “The Sound of Music.”
The play, set in Austria at the beginning of World War II, tells the true story of a family who must flee their country as the Nazis invade.
District Superintendent Rob Pletka said in a statement to The Epoch Times that he opted to remove the swastika, a symbol of the Nazi regime, and the “heil Hitler” salute from the play as a safety precaution.
“I made the decision to remove these signs and symbols associated with the Holocaust from the play,” he said. “By doing so, I aim to protect our children from the potential harm that could arise from their unknowing association with such destructive and harmful imagery.”
Pletka said that because these symbols are associated with the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of 6 million Jews, there is “the potential that the young children who innocently perform in this play become associated with these destructive symbols.”
“In this time of social media, it is likely that well-meaning parents and community members would share these images, inadvertently associating our children with signs, flags, armbands, and gestures linked to the atrocities of the Holocaust,” he said. “The juxtaposition of powerful and destructive symbols with innocent children has the potential not only to spark controversy but also to attract individuals or groups with ill intent. These social media posts of our children could leave them vulnerable to the co-opting of these photographs by nefarious individuals or groups meant to mock or exploit our children for their own purpose.”
The play took place on May 24 and 25 at Rolling Hills Elementary School.
Additionally, the district also prohibited the performance from being shown to first through third graders during school hours—and required parental permission for viewing by fourth and fifth graders.
Several parents spoke on the matter during a May 16 board meeting, with some supporting the superintendent’s decision, and others raising concerns over censorship.
One parent said during the meeting that her eight-year-old came home repeating “little Nazi boy,” after hearing kids on the playground at school using the phrase.
The parent said after reaching out to school and district officials, she realized it was likely being used by kids who were in the play. She argued that her child was too young to have an understanding of the events of World War II.
“I want [my child] to learn the right things at the right time,” she said.
Another parent who spoke at the meeting agreed, saying his child was too young to learn about such history.
“The portrayal and simulation of Nazis in a not-age-appropriate situation actually hurts the way kids learn about and internalize that information,” said the parent.
However, another parent and educator said she didn’t consider “The Sound Music” a threat, as it portrays Nazis in a negative light.
“However unfortunate...and sickening, Nazis are a part of our history,” she said. “They are neither celebrated nor glorified in any part of this musical. ... The day the district excludes kids from a performance like this one, is the day I start to see the district’s decisions as a threat.”
The parent further stated that she thought it was important to have difficult conversations about history with students.
“While I understand the situation is fraught, as we teach our students, one of life’s obstacles is working through the complexities of situations like these with rigorous communication rather than submission,” the parent said at the meeting. “While I rely on the fact that [the school district] is going to protect my children ... I don’t consider ‘The Sound of Music’ a threat. Rather, I find it a delightful way to learn about courage, perseverance, and grit.”
