Auckland high school student wears ‘inappropriate’ striped pyjamas with Jewish star to athletics day.
A Bosnian living in Auckland has laid a complaint about an Auckland high school student who wore a Holocaust victim costume to school.
Pic: twitter
The clothing was worn to athletics day at Liston College on Wednesday and was spotted by the Auckland resident on social media later that morning.
The high school student was spotted dressed in blue striped pyjamas and roman sandals, featuring a yellow Star of David pinned to his chest.
Jewish people in Nazi Concentration camps wore the striped uniform with the yellow star.
The person who saw the post did not want to be named said he was horrified and wouldn’t have expected the costume to be allowed at a Catholic high school.
Wanting to ensure the school knew about the offending outfit, he phoned them to complain.
Liston College
The Liston School receptionist told the Aucklander that the students were allowed to dress up, as it was athletics day. The caller tried to explain why he felt the costume was inappropriate and was told his message would be passed on to the dean.
“Especially with (my) family coming from Bosnia, we understand, you know, war victims and all that kind of stuff.”
Liston College Board of Trustees chairman Ralph Elika said the student in question was sent home as soon as he was seen wearing the outfit and was undergoing a “restorative justice” process through the school.
Mr Elika described the incident as a “prank that backfired” and agreed the costume was “highly inappropriate” and offensive both to other students at the school and to members of the public who saw the costume on social media.
“It was a silly act that was intended to be a joke,” he said. “The boy thought he was onto a winner but failed miserably.”
Considering the Project of Hope with Holocaust survivors visiting schools …https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/north-canterbury/96344051/holocaust-survivor-shares-message-of-strength-with-students.
It would be a terrible embarrasment for the education facilitors to have this before them and the restorative justice would be one avenue of dealing with the situation with the student……
The fact the student was sent home implies he was liviing at home and beggars belief no-one within the household knew. The outfit wouldn’t have been bought, it was well made and sewn together, the Star of David intrisically portioned over the heart as depicted on those within the concentration camps.
More than a students handwork in my opinion.