Administrators at East Brook Middle School in Paramus, New Jersey, announced that "we immediately collected the yearbooks so the image would not remain in circulation" after it turned out that a baby photo in the 2026 volume was of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
"I want to be direct with you: the presence of this image is unacceptable," [East Brook Middle School Principle Ryan] Aupperlee wrote. "Even if the image was not immediately recognizable to those paging through the book, its inclusion in an official school publication is a severe breach of our values. Adolf Hitler represents hatred, antisemitism, and the horrors of the Holocaust, including the murder of six million Jews. An image of him has no place in a yearbook created for our students. It does not reflect who we are or what East Brook stands for, and we condemn its inclusion without reservation."
Police were contacted, according to local media, and a "thorough investigation" is promised. Corrected yearbooks will be issued soon.
"Thank you for your patience, understanding, and trust as we work to make this right," Aupperlee wrote in the letter. "We remain committed to ensuring that our school reflects the values of respect, inclusion, and dignity for every member of our community."
Yearbook shenanigans are a popular sport in the United States. In Florida, parents were scandalized by a photo of a toddler flipping the bird in a yearbook photo. "This was poor judgment on my part, and I apologize," said the responsible party. Also in Florida, parents were upset by a Fetty Wap quote included in a yearbook. Hitler is a common element; a "regrettable oversight" allowed a quote into a Bangor, Maine yearbook in 2016. And then there was this.
Maugham Elementary School in Tenafly says it is now investigating after teachers allowed a student to write a biography glorifying Adolf Hitler…and then displayed that student's work in the school hallway for weeks. The assignment included that student dressing up as Hitler as well.
