BARABOO, WI (RNN) – The Wisconsin students who were photographed doing what appeared to be a Nazi salute or the white power sign will not be punished for their actions.
The information was in a letter sent to parents by Baraboo School District Administrator Lori Mueller after the district finished part of the investigation into the picture taken in the spring before prom.
“As previously stated, we cannot know the intentions in the hearts of those who were involved,” Mueller wrote, according to the Baraboo News Republic. “Moreover, because of students’ First Amendment rights, the district is not in a position to punish the students for their actions.”
this post has since been deleted, but i just want @barabooSD to be aware of the disturbing actions that are represented in this photograph. this is BEYOND sickening. pic.twitter.com/Fer5heTted
— carly sidey (@CarlySidey) November 12, 2018
At the time the photo surfaced, the school district said it was “extremely troubled by the image.”
Baraboo is a town of 12,000 people about 40 miles northwest of Madison. The population is more than 90 percent white, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The photo of students posted to #BarabooProud is not reflective of the educational values and beliefs of the School District of Baraboo. We are investigating and will pursue any and all available and appropriate actions, including legal, to address.
— Baraboo Schools (@barabooSD) November 12, 2018
The parent who took the photo said he was simply asking the teens to wave goodbye to their parents before they headed off to prom and never anticipated the image would draw such widespread condemnation.
Pete Gust, who operates Wheel Memories and has a son in the photo, said the timing sequence of the shot showed the teens' arms extended in various stages as they raised them.
"There was nothing intended in any way shape or form to simulate anything that was offensive to anyone," Gust told The Associated Press. "If there's any error, it was me in timing the shot."
Gust had posted the photo to his business website after it was taken last May but took it down earlier this month after it surfaced in social media posts and was shared widely, prompting strong criticism from individuals and from Jewish organizations.
"To anyone that was hurt I sincerely apologize," Gust wrote on his website.
But one of the students in the photo who did not raise his arm, Jordan Blue, said he believes some of the students did intend to make the Nazi salute as a joke.
“It was very disrespectful to what my beliefs are, and it was a very bad representation of the senior class and the Baraboo School District, because by all means, the Baraboo School District does not support that kind of actions and it is a district that provides many opportunities for the students,” Blue told the Baraboo News Republic. “This is something that I will never forget.”
Going forward, the school district said it’s making short- and long-term plans to address issues of hate and racism with students and the rest of the community.
“We must come together and, in a meaningful way, consider the travesties of the past that were fueled by hatred and embrace the celebration of diversity fueled by love and acceptance,” Mueller’s letter said.
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