Rialto community meets about Holocaust assignment

RIALTO, Calif. (KABC) -- Rialto School District officials met with local Jewish leaders on Thursday in what was the first of many steps to make amends for a middle school assignment that asked students to make a case for whether or not the Holocaust really happened.

It was not a meeting about controversy, but rather one of coming together.

"We're here to attack the problem, not the people," said Joanne Gilbert, school district board president.

About 30 people were in attendance, including district officials, Jewish leaders, and community members. District officials talked about what to do to make sure what happened last school year doesn't happen again.

The school district says it was a group of teachers that came up with the assignment, asking eighth graders to write an essay about whether the holocaust actually happened.

"The issue isn't as much about the kids. I think actually most of the kids got it, despite the best efforts, or worst efforts, of some of the adults in the room," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper with the L.A. County Museum of Tolerance.

Syeda Jafri, Rialto Unified School District spokesperson, says some students did deny that the Holocaust occurred.

"We don't have an exact number yet, or a percentage, we know that there was a handful," she said.

Most of the meeting centered on what the district is going to do moving forward.

"Whether we're teaching about slavery, whether we're teaching about the Holocaust, whether we're teaching about 9/11, we have to do this with sensitivity, and understanding, and we have to make sure that we're teaching this the right way," Jafri said.

But there was still talk about getting to the bottom of why the district is in this situation in the first place.

"I think we trust our kids, I think overall our kids have earned that trust, we still have questions about the adults in the room, we're still waiting for some of those adults to stand up and take responsibility," said Cooper.

Several more meetings are expected for district officials, teachers and staff to talk about diversity and sensitivity.