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Parents outraged after Georgia elementary school uses logo resembling Nazi symbol

The school district claimed it was not immediately aware of the similarities and had based the design off US army symbols

An elementary school in Marietta, Georgia, has sparked outrage for its new logo, which resembles a Nazi symbol. East Side Elementary's newly unveiled logo includes a prominently displayed eagle with the school's initials within its body, an image similar to the Nazi eagle which has a similar blocky style and a swastika at its feet. The school, across the street from a synagogue, notified parents of the change this week, saying that the district has been working with all schools in the area to redesign their logos.

"The new logo and badges were chosen to represent the Eagle soaring into excellence and to honor the history of our great school," a screenshot of the message says. "We hope that you love our new designs as much as we do!" The Nazi eagle, or the Nazi war eagle, is included in the Anti-Defamation League's database of hate symbols. It was developed by Nazis in Germany in the '20s and after World War II became a familiar symbol among neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

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The American Jewish Committee, a Jewish advocacy organization, tweeted that the district, "regardless of intent," should have realized the logo "bears a striking and uncomfortable resemblance to the Nazi eagle." The organization said, "This only clarifies the urgent need for comprehensive Holocaust education at all levels."

Parents and members of the community immediately called for a change once the new logo was presented earlier this week, with local Rabbi and mother Amanda Flaks saying she was shocked that the design was approved in the first place. According to WSB2 reports, she said "I thought, 'That looks off. That makes me uncomfortable. I came back to it a few times and I felt more and more uncomfortable and sick each time."

The school district claimed it was not immediately aware of the similarities and had based the design off US army symbols. Parents, however, said the way the school's initials were positioned on the eagle silhouette looked much too similar to the Nazi eagle crest design than any design from the US military.

ADL Southeast Regional Director Eytan Davidson tweeted that "another incident evoking the specter of antisemitism is extremely concerning." Mike Albuquerque has two children set to attend the school next year. He told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he doesn't want his kids to wear the new logo. "Really it's a big oversight of the county and everyone involved in the process who reviewed that, to not call out the fact that this looks like Nazi iconography," he said. "Or maybe, who knows, somebody did call it out and it wasn't heard." 

A Twitter user who goes by Stacy wrote that her family is Jewish and "has always felt loved and welcome" at the school, and that she thinks the logo was an "honest oversight." But, she said the school could move more quickly. "We don't need to 'pause to consider' or 'review' the logos," they said. "They are symbolic of Nazi images and should be deleted immediately, full stop. The district should apologize to all East Side families for the harm that this has caused."

Earlier this year, Cobb County high school students spoke out about harassment and racism in schools and how some students don't feel safe. They demanded a change in the code of conduct policy and that students who harass, bully or make degrading comments should face longer suspensions than what's currently enforced.