NEWS

SAIL students suspended for forming human swastika

Ryan Dailey
Democrat staff writer

Four students at SAIL high school were suspended in December after administrators learned they lay down and formed a human swastika in a field on the school's campus.

SAIL High School logo

Leon County Schools officials confirmed the incident Tuesday, after a concerned SAIL parent, who is Jewish, met with principal Tiffany Thomas to discuss actions taken by the school.

The parent, who asked to have his identity withheld to protect his child, said he only learned about the incident from his child last Friday. The father said his child said there have been other incidents of students making other antisemitic remarks, then told him of the suspensions.

Following his meeting with Thomas, the parent said he was reassured by the response from SAIL. He added that the magnet school prides itself on providing a creative and personalized high school experience. The parent said he has always known SAIL to be a tolerant and inclusive environment.

Thomas addressed the incident in an interview with the Democrat Tuesday.

"As a school community, we really pride ourselves on continuing with our safe, caring and respectful school climate," she said. "One of our main school goals is cultural diversity, and we have formed committees and clubs around these themes to promote cultural awareness all year long."

Thomas added the school has a Holocaust Remembrance Day scheduled for March, which is made possible through a partnership with the Holocaust Education Resource Council.