Holocaust Denialism Has No Place in Our Schools

By Andrew Quist

In a recent meeting with teachers held to explain how to implement Texas’ new ban on teaching critical race theory, a school administrator instructed teachers that if they have a book on the holocaust in their classroom, they should also include a book with “opposing” perspectives. The only reasonable interpretation of this comment is that the administrator was instructing teachers to include books that advocate holocaust denialism in their classrooms. After the comments were reported in the media, the superintendent of the school district clarified that the Texas bill does not require teachers to include opposing viewpoints on historical facts, and the district would work to clarify its expectation of teachers. Nonetheless, this episode is shocking. It is also an example of psychic numbing, the tendency for people to feel indifferent to deaths or suffering of large numbers of people. Despite the clarification from the superintendent, this comment will contribute to a chilling atmosphere for teachers who want to educate their students on painful yet historically important topics like the holocaust. Six million Jews were murdered by the Nazi regime. This is not an opinion or perspective; it is a fact.

Photograph of classroom by Liz CC BY 2.0