Online post of California students forming “human swastika” sparks outrage

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By Rich McKay

Dec 9 (Reuters) – A photo of eight high school students forming a “human swastika” on a California football field went viral online last week, spurring an outcry from the Jewish community and political leaders across Silicon Valley.

The social media post showing the students lying on the ground in the shape of the Nazi symbol was posted online on Dec. 3, along with a 1939 antisemitic quote from Adolf Hitler calling for the annihilation of Jews. The incident began to garner national attention on Tuesday. 

The image was eventually deleted from Instagram, but screenshots remain online, including one posted by a member of the California State Assembly, Gail Pellerin, who said the youths pictured were students at Branham High School in San Jose.

“The actions of students who used their bodies to form a swastika, photographed it, and posted it online with their names and a threatening Hitler quote attached, paint a terrifying picture of the hate plaguing our communities,” she said.

Pellerin was not immediately available for further comment.

Antisemitic incidents, which had been on the rise in the U.S. for years, spiked after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas-led militants and Israel’s subsequent military offensive in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

The Jewish watchdog group, the Anti-Defamation League, reported in its annual audit that in 2024 there were more than 9,300 antisemitic incidents across the U.S., marking a 5 percent increase from 2023 and a 344 percent increase over the last five years.

Marc Levine, ADL’s Northern California director, said on Tuesday that Branham school administrators have reached out to him.

“We all want to keep hate out of student spaces,” he said.

Branham High principal Beth Silbergeld told students and parents that the post “does not reflect the values of our school and community,” and that the incident was under investigation, according to the school’s student newspaper, the Branham Bear Witness.

Neither Silbergeld nor school district Superintendent Robert Bravo immediately returned multiple calls and emails tseeking comment on Tuesday. 

The students face disciplinary action and the San Jose Police were called to the school regarding the matter, according to media accounts.

A San Jose police media spokesperson did not immediately respond to calls and emails seeking comment.

Maya Bronicki, an education leader with the Bay Area Jewish Coalition, said the image has rattled the Jewish community.

“These are children,” Bronicki said. “I don’t know if they are hateful or ignorant, but it represents blind hate.”

(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Frank McGurty and David Gregorio)