I am an alumnus of Albany High School, class of 1983, and now it is an international laughingstock.
Sophomore English students were asked by their teacher, who was either not thinking or thinking the wrong things, to write an essay from the perspective of being a Nazi in Germany justifying the persecution of Jews. The real test was of each student to determine "right from wrong."
Many proceeded to write this immoral essay; some may have justified it by fearing a failing mark in a critical English class. One student courageously refused to comply. This student knew what she was being asked to do was wrong.
Please print this letter to express my thanks to this morally gifted student. I am proud of her, and hoping that other students will not be so inhibited when asked to do the wrong thing. There are moral failings in the home, school, church and everywhere. It is important to do the right thing.
Shame on Albany High School and the Board of Education for not observing what is going on in the classroom. It is not good when the internal controls for the activities in the classroom has to come down to a single student.
David Rothschild
Brooklyn