Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Texas School District Sparks Outrage After Telling Teachers To Offer 'Opposing' Holocaust Viewpoints

Texas School District Sparks Outrage After Telling Teachers To Offer 'Opposing' Holocaust Viewpoints
NBC News/YouTube

Holocaust denial, or the belief or assertion the Holocaust did not happen or was greatly exaggerated, is perhaps the most prominent antisemitic conspiracy theory out there.

The event, which was the genocide of European Jews during World War II, cost 6 million lives, not including the lives of millions of others, including ethnic Poles, the Roma, the disabled and gay men, who were persecuted under the Nazi regime.


There is no doubt the Holocaust took place, so what would an "opposing view" of it entail?

That's what's mired the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, Texas, in controversy this past week, after a top administrator advised teachers to present "opposing" viewpoints if they're going to assign books about the Holocaust.

Gina Peddy, the Carroll school district's executive director of curriculum and instruction, made the remarks during a training session on which books teachers can have in classroom libraries.

A Carroll staff member secretly recorded the training and shared the audio with NBC News.

Referring to a new Texas law that requires teachers to offer multiple perspectives when covering "controversial" issues, Peddy said:

"Just try to remember the concepts of [House Bill] 3979."
"And make sure that if you have a book on the Holocaust, that you have one that has an opposing, that has other perspectives."

When asked by a teacher how one can "oppose" the Holocaust, Peddy responded:

"Believe me, that's come up."

The recording soon went viral, generating significant outrage online.





Peddy has not responded to requests for comment.

However, Carroll spokeswoman Karen Fitzgerald said the district "recognizes that all Texas teachers are in a precarious position with the latest legal requirements" in regard to the law, noting that an updated version will go into effect in December:

"Our purpose is to support our teachers in ensuring they have all of the professional development, resources and materials needed."
"Our district has not and will not mandate books be removed nor will we mandate that classroom libraries be unavailable."

According to Clay Robison, a spokesman for the Texas State Teachers Association, there is nothing in House Bill 3979 that explicitly mentions classroom libraries.

He issued a statement criticizing Peddy's remarks:

"We find it reprehensible for an educator to require a Holocaust denier to get equal treatment with the facts of history."
"That's absurd. It's worse than absurd. And this law does not require it."

The Carroll Independent School District also found itself in the news earlier this month after board trustees voted 3-2 to reprimand a teacher who had assigned an anti-racism book to her class.

The book, This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell, was at the center of a complaint filed by parents who voiced their opposition after their child brought a copy home from school.

More from Trending

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less