Antisemitic high school students spark outrage as they form human swastika on football field in California

A group of high school students have sparked outrage in California after using their bodies to form a human swastika on their campus football field.

The eight students, who school officials said have been identified, performed the sick antisemitic act at Branham High School in San Jose and later shared a photo of their stunt on Instagram alongside a quote from Adolf Hitler.

It said that ‘international financial Jews’ had ‘succeeded in plunging nations into a world war,’ and threatened ‘the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe,’ according to the Jewish News of Northern California.

The post has since been taken down – but not before a fellow student at the high school saw it and sent it around to parents and families, NBC Bay Area reports.

‘People were just shocked to see that this is happening at their school, in broad daylight, students purposely doing this – there was clear intentionality,’ Maya Bronicki, with the Bay Area Jewish Coalition, told the outlet.

‘The caption under the post itself was horrifying.’

One Jewish senior at the school was so appalled by the sight he figured it must have been fake or AI-generated.

‘It was just insane to think that there were people at my school that went around quoting Hitler,’ the student said.

Students at a California high school laid down to form a ‘human swastika’

Branham High School officials said the students have been identified

Another Jewish senior said she was ‘really scared’ when she saw the post that ‘there are people at my school who think they can get away with this.

‘And for me, this was just really, really scary to know.’

A Jewish mother of a ninth-grader, who herself is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, also said her son recognized at least one of the students because they were in the same class last year.

‘I’m afraid because I feel that my son is not safe at school,’ she said.

‘I’m a second-generation Holocaust survivor and I have goosebumps seeing this picture,’ the worried mother added.

As the image spread online, California lawmakers also lined up to condemn the students’ actions.

‘I am deeply disturbed by the discovery of the anti-Semitic “human swastika” at Branham High School,’ State Sen. Dave Cortese said in a statement.

‘Acts of hatred – no matter where they occur – have a profound impact on our young people, our families and our broader community,’ he continued.

‘There is absolutely no place for antisemitism, or any form of bigotry, in our schools or in our society.

Branham High School Principal Beth Silbergeld said the school began investigating after the social media post was shared via an anonymous tip line

‘I stand with the Branham High School community, with Jewish students and families across our region, with all who are affected by this harm,’ Cortese said.

‘We must meet moments like this with unity, compassion and a commitment to building a more understanding and resilient future for all.’

State Sen. Scott Wiener also released a statement asking ‘why these students believed it was OK to do this – not just the swastika, but linking it to [the] extermination of Jews due to “international financial Jews.”‘

‘Antisemitism is pervasive and growing,’ he wrote on Facebook. ‘It’s leading to harassment and violence against Jews. Yet there’s an orchestrated campaign to deny its existence.’

He concluded by arguing: ‘We need to take antisemitism seriously and push back hard when people deny its existence – or even worse, pay lip service to it, say it’s bad, but then say we shouldn’t do anything about it.’

Disturbingly, however, some people commented on his post expressing their support for the eight students, with one calling them ‘the generation that will save America.’

Another argued that, ‘Being around people who think differently than you is good, remember.’

Still, Branham High School Principal Beth Silbergeld, who herself is Jewish, swiftly condemned the ‘human swastika.’

‘Our message to the community is clear: this was a disturbing and unacceptable act of antisemitism,’ she said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

‘Actions that target, demean or threaten Jewish students have no place on our campuses.’

California State Sen Scott Wiener condemned the act on social media – though some people commented on his post expressing their support for the eight students

She added in remarks to the San Francisco Chronicle that the school began investigating after the social media post was shared via an anonymous tip line, and referred the incident to San Jose police.

The students have since been identified, she said, but their names and any disciplinary actions they face will not be made public under federal law.

The principal did say, however, that the students involved ‘are committed to taking accountability for the harm that was done.’

‘While this incident does not reflect the values of the vast majority of our students and families, the harm it caused is real and must be addressed,’ she said.

‘Many in our community were rightly appalled by the image,’ Silbergeld continued, noting that she was also ‘horrified by this act.’

But professionally, she said, ‘I am confident and hopeful that our school community can learn from this moment and emerge stronger and more united,’ as the high school partners with the Anti-Defamation League, the Bay Area Jewish Coalition and the Jewish Community Relations Council.

The school will now provide support and resources to students effected by the incident and is implementing ‘educational approaches’ to ensure that ‘students understand the history of the Holocaust and the impact of hate symbols, hate speech and antisemitism.

‘As a school community and as educators, we recognize our responsibility to address and repair the harm caused by this incident.’

But this wasn’t the first time the high school was accused of fostering antisemitism.

Back in April, two teachers were found to have violated California law when a state Department of Education investigation concluded they had delivered one-sided instruction on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that ‘discriminated against Jewish students’ in an ethnic literature class for seniors.

‘In order for the information to be unbiased, there would have needed to be a video that reflected a pro-Israel perspective,’ the state ruled.

‘This would have encouraged students to create authentic answers regarding the questions provided in the lesson.’

The Jewish mother of the ninth-grader also claimed to The Jewish News of Northern California that one of her children experienced antisemitism in the classroom following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel – though she did not specify what happened.

When she then saw the Instagram post last week, she said her first thought was ‘how could this happen again?’