One of the Wisconsin high school students who refused to raise his arm in an apparent Nazi salute for a prom photo last spring says he would never have participated if he had known his fellow classmates would pose that way.
A photo showing more than 60 male students from Baraboo High School seemingly giving the so-called 鈥淗itler greeting鈥� on the steps of the Sauk County Courthouse before their prom last spring, has stoked controversy after it was posted on social media on Sunday.
The questionable image shows nearly all of the male students, clad in suits, raising their arms in the air with smiles on their faces 鈥� but not Jordan Blue.
In the photo, the grim-faced 18-year-old appeared to be visibly uncomfortable with the situation. He was only one of a few students who didn鈥檛 raise their arm in the photo.
鈥淚t was a scary moment and it was very shocking,鈥� he told CNN鈥檚 鈥淣ew Day鈥� on Tuesday. 鈥淭he photographer said to raise your hand, but he didn鈥檛 say a specific way. My peers should not have raised it in the specific way that was the offensive way and hurtful way.鈥�
The photographer Pete Gust, whose son also appears in the photo, said he simply asked the students to wave goodbye to their parents.
鈥淭here was nothing intended in any way shape or form to simulate anything that was offensive to anyone," he told The Associated Press. 鈥淚f there's any error, it was me in timing the shot.鈥�
The photographer said the students were in various stages of raising their arms when the photo was snapped.
鈥淭o anyone that was hurt I sincerely apologize,鈥� Gust wrote on his website.
Blue said he was uncomfortable by the 鈥渋ntent鈥� he noticed in his classmates鈥� arms as they posed.
鈥淎t that moment I was uncomfortable. I was very hurt. I was very scared for the future,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚t was wrong. It shouldn鈥檛 be OK and it鈥檚 not OK.鈥�
In a letter sent to parents on Monday, the Baraboo School District said they were investigating the situation and will pursue 鈥渁ny and all available actions, including legal, to address the issue.鈥� The city鈥檚 police department also confirmed it was assisting the school district in the investigation.
Kevin Vodak, the school board鈥檚 president, said, as a private citizen, that he was 鈥渄eeply disappointed鈥� and 鈥渁ppalled鈥� by the photo.
鈥淭he photo has shaken to the core my personal belief of the process that we as a community and as a school district have made to be tolerant, inclusive, accepting and admitting of all of those who are different from ourselves,鈥� he said.
On Monday evening, approximately 100 people rallied in front of the Baraboo court house where the photo was taken to promote positivity in the city.
Blue stressed that his classmates鈥� actions are not representative of Baraboo鈥檚 close-knit community, or of his school.
鈥淏araboo is a phenomenal community and is not a racist community,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his photo is not a representation of the senior class at my high school. It鈥檚 just a very bad situation that happened and we have a lot of growing and learning to do.鈥�
With files from CNN and The Associated Press
