Update: Anti-Defamation League Issues Statement on Hannover Schools Swastika T-Shirt Logo | Education

Hannover’s superintendent of schools is apologizing for the district by using a logo on T-shirts and other materials that resembles a swastika.

The logo was used in a Hannover County Public Schools professional learning conference this week.

“One of our teachers designed the logo with the intention that it depict four hands and arms holding together – a symbol of unity for our countywide professional learning conference. Nothing more,” Superintendent Michael Gill wrote in a message to families and staff.

“While we are confident that the logo was created without any malicious intent, we understand that this has deeply upset members of our staff and community who view the logo as resembling a swastika.”

Gill said the administration has stopped distributing the logo T-shirts and staff are working to remove the logo from all conference materials.

“We are deeply sorry for this error and for the emotions the logo evoked by its resemblance to a swastika and, by extension, the atrocities that have been committed under its banner,” Gill wrote.

“Unquestionably, we condemn anything associated with the Nazi regime in the strongest possible terms.”

Gill had no involvement in the development or revision of the logo, according to district spokesman Chris Whitley.

Going forward, the administration will reevaluate the logo review process, Whitley said.

In a Monday afternoon letter, the NAACP said the incident is another example of the urgent need for diversity, equity and inclusion training and professional development required for all HCPS employees, including the school board and the supervisory board.

“We stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters in speaking out against this callousness,” reads the letter signed by Hannover NAACP president Patricia Hunter-Jordan. “We appreciate and respect Superintendent Gill’s apology. However, the mere oversight of a single individual cannot explain this pattern of lack of diversity and refusal to make substantive changes that would result in the new direction of our schools…”

Last week the NAACP wrote a letter urging the Hanover Board of Supervisors to “reconsider” certain school board appointments and require both boards to participate in diversity, equity and inclusion training.

Newly appointed school board member Johnny Redd, who was criticized in the letter in part for previous comments on using a biblical worldview to analyze policies, answered by referring to Hunter-Jordan as an “angry African-American woman.” he later apologized.

The Anti-Defamation League’s Washington regional office said in a statement to The Times-Dispatch on Wednesday that the ADL appreciates Gill’s prompt response to the community and his recognition of the incident’s impact on the Jewish community. and other marginalized groups targeted by whites. supremacy and hatred.

“We were deeply disturbed when we saw the image, and with anti-Semitic incidents continuing to reach historic highs across the country and the Commonwealth, it was heartbreaking for many in our community to see this symbol – which so closely resembles a swastika – to be used for a conference for educators,” the Washington ADL statement said in part.

According to an annual ADL audit, 46 anti-Semetic incidents were reported in Virginia last year, a 6% decrease from 49 incidents reported in 2020 and a 64% increase from 28 incidents reported in 2019 .

Virginia was the state with the 15th highest number of anti-Semitic incidents reported in the United States last year, according to the ADL.