A school district in Oregon, already under fire for violence previously reported on by The Lion, is again on the defensive after asking middle school students to compare Trump to Hitler in a lesson plan.
In December, parents and teachers were calling on Tigard-Tualatin School District (TTSD) Superintendent Dr. Sue Rieke-Smith to resign, citing behavioral issues that went beyond a viral fight.
The latest controversy erupted after an education watchdog posted to X a TTSD lesson plan comparing former President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler.
A review of the Oregon law under which the lesson plan was created reveals that the intent was to promote progressive propaganda under the guise of Holocaust education.
“EXCLUSIVE: Disturbing assignment used at @TigardTualSD asks students to draw comparisons between Donald Trump and HitIer,” said Libs of TikTok on X.
The lesson plan asked middle school students to pick quotes from both Hitler and Trump and match them to the correct person.
“The exercise is clearly used to guide students to certain conclusions,” said Libs of TikTok.
In an interview with Libs of TikTok, TTSD Community Relations Manager Lisa Burton defended the plan, saying it illustrated how both Trump and Hitler used “propaganda” to influence public opinion against various groups.
The Libs of TikTok presentation also shows the lesson plan trying to draw comparisons between Nazi public book burning and their bans on the sale and distribution of certain books versus the current removal of overtly sexualized, age-inappropriate material that has been taking place in schools and libraries in America.
The lesson plan also compared Nazi book burnings to the current removal of overtly sexualized, age-inappropriate material from American schools and libraries.
“It all began with a book ban,” said the lesson, darkly.
The lesson also claimed “LGBTQ+ people and those who advocated for them” were among the first victims of the Holocaust.
However, the lesson omitted the fact that Hitler tolerated and even promoted some gay individuals.
For example, Ernst Röhm, head of the Nazi stormtroopers, was openly gay, and “Hitler either ignored it or said it was immaterial, depending on who he was talking to,” according to a JSTOR research article. Ultimately, Hitler had Röhm executed for treason due to political differences, not because of his sexuality.
Burton said that the TTSD lesson was part of mandatory teaching under Oregon Senate Bill 664, which requires schools to teach about the Holocaust and genocide.
However, a reading of the law suggests it was passed not to educate about the Holocaust but to promote the kind of “propaganda” that the lesson plan was supposed to critique.
The law includes a list of “teaching” tools, which critics say progressives in Oregon have armed students since passage in 2019.
Four full classes of Oregon high school graduates, now attending university, should be familiar with these lessons.
Amongst the provisions of the law, the lessons must:
- “Stimulate students’ reflection on the roles and responsibilities of citizens in democratic societies to combat misinformation, indifference and discrimination through tools of resistance such as protest, reform and celebration.”
- Label ”individuals and groups who belong in one or more categories, including perpetrator, collaborator, bystander, victim and rescuer.”
- “Explore the various mechanisms of transitional and restorative justice that help humanity move forward in the aftermath of genocide.”
The district, when asked, seemed to understand why some might believe the lesson plan is one-sided and political.
“We could see how that would be perceived, yes,” said Burton.
Originally published by The Lion. Republished with permission.
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