East Brook Middle School in Paramus, New Jersey, recalled its yearbooks after a baby photograph of Adolf Hitler was discovered in the graduating eighth graders’ baby pictures section.
School officials identified the image shortly after distributing the books around the end of the school year. In a June 25 letter to families, Principal Ryan Aupperlee said the school learned “earlier today, after students had already received their yearbooks,” that the section contained an infant photo of Hitler. The school immediately collected the yearbooks to prevent further circulation.
Aupperlee called the inclusion unacceptable and a severe breach of the school’s values. “Adolf Hitler represents hatred, antisemitism, and the horrors of the Holocaust, including the murder of six million Jews,” he wrote. “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.”
The administration is working to provide corrected yearbooks as quickly as possible and is coordinating with local law enforcement on an investigation into how the photo made it into the publication. The baby pictures section featured photos of the graduating class, typically from when the students were infants around 2012-2013, but one submission was the historical image of Hitler from 1889.
The incident has drawn attention in the Bergen County community, with parents and local leaders expressing concern over oversight in the yearbook production process. The school has emphasized its commitment to respect, inclusion, and dignity.
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