Student in Hitler costume wins Australian school's 'best dressed' award

A group of students from a Jewish school were visiting at the time.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 10:16
King Victor Emanuel III, (R) Adolf Hitler (C) and Benito Mussolini (L) watch fascist troops march past from a balcony in central Rome in this 1941 television file footage (photo credit: REUTERS)
King Victor Emanuel III, (R) Adolf Hitler (C) and Benito Mussolini (L) watch fascist troops march past from a balcony in central Rome in this 1941 television file footage
(photo credit: REUTERS)
An Australian school was forced to apologize after a student came to a book festival dressed as Adolf Hitler and was named one "of the best dressed," all while a group of students from a Jewish school were visiting.
Roger Herbert, principal of St Philip's College, a boarding school in the city of Alice Springs, told Australia's ABC TV that his school deeply regretted the decision to allow the student to come dressed as the Nazi leader. Herbert said he had already apologized to the Jewish students from Melbourne's Bialik College and the principal of their school.
"We got them together and apologized and they were fantastic, absolutely fantastic, and accepting," Herbert said.
Prior to dressing as Hitler, a teacher gave permission to the student to wear the costume. Following the mishap, Herbert said that the teacher "is absolutely shattered that she said that, and I'm really concerned about her well being."
Bialik College principal Jeremy Stowe-Lindner said the incident was unfortunate but that children were unpredictable and St. Philip's had taken the right action after the incident.
"I understand that no malice was intended and I guess the coincidence of Jewish children visiting from Melbourne is a learning opportunity for the community, and that the principal assures me this is number one priority," Stowe-Lindner said.