Did This Civics Teacher Ask Her Students to Create Terror Propaganda Posters? Hint: Yes
A Utah Junior High School apologized to students and parents after a first-year civics teacher asked her classes to “create a Propaganda poster” for a terrorist organization.
The assignment at Salem Junior High School asked students to list “eight reasons why young Muslims join ISIS,” and create a “neat, colored, professional” poster to propagate “one of the terrorist organizations” students studied in class. The teacher wrote the goal of the assignment is “to help students understand the goals of terrorist groups and the methods they use to gain support.”
The project originally noted that students who were “uncomfortable with the assignment” could speak to the teacher about an alternative solution, but Nebo School District spokeswoman Lana Hisky said the school cancelled it after at least four parents called to complain.
Utah’s 2KUTV, a CBS affiliate in Salt Lake City, was informed of the assignment after an anonymous parent called to express concern, fearing their child would end up on an FBI watch list for researching terrorist propaganda.
According to Hiskey, the teacher met with administrators, but was not disciplined for assigning the project. She said that the teacher “was just very enthusiastic and wanted students to understand that propaganda is not good.”
“We don’t want students going on the internet and looking up terrorist things,” Hiskey said, adding the teacher “talked to the students and let them know that was not the intent.”
Watch the video above, via 2KUTV.
[Featured Image via screengrab]
[h/t Talking Points Memo]
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