NEW DELHI: A recent assignment given to eighth-grade students at a private school in Atlanta has sparked controversy among parents due to its perceived antisemitic undertones. The Mount Vernon School assignment prompted students to evaluate
Adolf Hitler's leadership
qualities through a series of questions, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
Reportedly, students were asked to rate Hitler's characteristics as a leader using a rubric called the "Mount Vernon Mindset." One question inquired about Hitler's effectiveness as a "solution seeker," while another questioned his ethical decision-making abilities.
The options given along with the questions included “lacks evidence, approaching expectations, meets expectations, exceeds expectations” to describe the dictator.
Parents voiced concern over the assignment's potential antisemitic implications and expressed worries that such questions could be interpreted as glorifying Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany responsible for orchestrating the Holocaust.
Additionally, former students noted that they had not encountered similar questions during their time at the school.
In response to the backlash, Mount Vernon School officials removed the assignment from the curriculum. Principal Kristy Lundstrom issued a statement explaining that the assignment aimed to explore World War II and deepen students' understanding of historical events, particularly Hitler's manipulation of fear in connection to the Treaty of Versailles.