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Board Leader in Ohio Sorry for Hitler Remark

By Sean Cavanagh — February 19, 2013 1 min read
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Ohio’s board of education president has apologized for a post on her Facebook page that likened President Barack Obama’s gun-control positions to those of Adolf Hitler.

Debe Terhar has faced calls for her resignation amid controversy over the posting. Last week, the state board of education rejected by a 10-6 vote a motion calling for her to resign.

The board president, who is elected, had a post on her Facebook page with a picture of the Nazi leader, alongside a message criticizing Mr. Obama’s recent efforts to support gun control, which followed the Newtown, Conn., school shootings, The Columbus Dispatch reported last month.

The posting included a quote attributed to Mr. Hitler: “Never forget what this tyrant said: ‘To conquer a nation, first disarm its citizens.’”

The posting by Ms. Terhar, a Republican, drew the scorn of the Ohio Democratic Party, which called for her to step down.

At last week’s board meeting, Ms. Terhar apologized and indicated that she had reposted the controversial comments from another source onto her personal Facebook page.

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A version of this article appeared in the February 20, 2013 edition of Education Week as Board Leader in Ohio Sorry for Hitler Remark

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