A school district superintendent in North Texas apologized on Thursday after one of the district’s administrators told teachers that they should include book with “opposing” views on the Holocaust in their classrooms.
Gina Peddy a top administrator with the Carroll Independent School District made the comment last week during a training session on which books teachers can have in the classroom, according to NBC News.
During the meeting Peddy pointed to House Bill 3979 that requires teachers to present multiple perspectives when discussing “widely debated and currently controversial” issues, per NBC.
“Make sure that if you have a book on the Holocaust that you have one that has an opposing, that has other perspectives,” Peddy said.
“How do you oppose the Holocaust?” one teacher asked .”Believe me, that’s come up,” Peddy said.
On Thursday district superintendent, Lane Ledbetter, issued an apology for Peddy’s comments.
“I express my sincere apology regarding the online article and news story released today. During the conversations with teachers during last week’s meeting, the comments made were in no way to convey that the Holocaust was anything less than a terrible event in history. Additionally, we recognize there are not two sides of the Holocaust,” the statement read. “As we continue to work through implementation of HB 3979, we also understand this bill does not require an opposing viewpoint on historical facts. As a district we will work to add clarity to our expectations for teachers and once again apologize for any hurt or confusion this has caused,” it added.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed HB 3979 into law which took effect on September 1. The law says teachers may not be compelled to discuss “a particular current event or widely debated and currently controversial issue of public policy or social affairs.” But, if they do, the teacher is required to “explore such issues from diverse and contending perspectives without giving deference to any one perspective,” CNN reports.
