Dive Brief:
- Utah's Salem Junior High School is under fire after a teacher assigned freshmen to create terrorist propaganda posters.
- The assignment was supposed to help students understand the concept of propaganda, as well as the goals of terrorist groups and the methods they use to gain support, the Washington Post reports.
- The unnamed teacher responsible for the assignment seems to have known in advance that it would be controversial, having also told students, "If you are uncomfortable with this assignment you may speak to me about an alternative assignment.”
Dive Insight:
The assignment was withdrawn by the school following parental complaints, and no disciplinary action has been taken against the teacher, whose identity was not disclosed. A wave of media attention has elevated the scandal, especially given the poor timing with last week's terrorist attacks in Paris and Mali.
Parents also expressed concerns that their children might end up on American government watchlists if they were caught researching terrorist organizations online. A spokeswoman for the Nebo School District in Utah, Lana Hiskey, says the teacher in question “wanted the students to understand how propaganda can be wrong and lead people incorrectly.”