Carmel superintendent says district "misstepped" on middle-school Holocaust presentation; trustees press for clearer parent outreach

Dr. Kennedy, Carmel Central School District superintendent, opened the board's Nov. 19 meeting by apologizing for "a misstep" in the district's handling of an assembly at George Fisher Middle School and promising improved parent outreach.

The superintendent said the district contracted Steven Goldberg of the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center to present on symbols and the language of hate to grades 5'8 on Nov. 13. "The material is not in question. The material is supported by the, State Education Department," Dr. Kennedy said, adding the error was a failure to "pull our parents in as partners." She said faculty heard the material in advance and a parent forum was offered the same evening.

Why it matters: multiple parents and some trustees said the way the material was presented left students upset and, in some reports, led to students making offensive gestures in hallways. Board members pressed the administration for concrete next steps, both to support affected students and to prevent future communication lapses.

Trustee Christie Wise (Trustee Wise) said she had heard from "a number of parents" and described reports that during the assembly "an extensive part of this presentation was a demonstration by the speaker of the, and I quote, proper way to execute a Nazi salute." Wise said Jewish students at the middle school felt "deeply uncomfortable and unsafe" after the event. "Given that that's how this was clearly perceived by a number of members of the audience," she said, the district needed to explain how it would respond.

Dr. Kennedy and other administrators disputed the claim that the presenter taught the salute. "He talked about no. That never was the case," she said, describing the presentation as a systematic, contextual lesson about symbols and historical change. She said staff held follow-up conversations with fifth- and sixth-grade students, counselors have been engaged and the district encouraged parents with concerns to contact counselors or file a DASA report where appropriate.

Trustee Curzio and other board members urged the administration to document communications and to provide clarity for families. Dr. Kennedy said the district would "fix" the outreach process and reiterated that the content aligns with state social-emotional benchmarks and NYSED guidance. She also said the district would use reteaching and counseling supports where needed.

What the district will do next: the superintendent said the administration is documenting complaints and follow-up, encouraging parents to use established reporting channels (including the DASA process) and planning additional outreach and reteaching at George Fisher Middle School. The board asked for specific follow-up details and for the administration to share findings with trustees.

The public comment period later included callers who referenced the assembly and its aftermath; the board reminded commenters the district's public-comment policy requires speakers to address their own concerns and not other students.

The meeting moved on after the discussion; Dr. Kennedy said the district would continue outreach and make procedural changes to ensure parents are "partners" before similar events.