The Central Oregon Diversity Project has called for the resignation of state Rep. Vikki Breese-Iverson, R-Prineville, after her teenage son was photographed making a Nazi salute while on a school field trip.

The teenager, a student at Crook County High School, was photographed with another student performing a Nazi salute next to a German World War II plane with a swastika painted on it during a field trip May 31 to the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras.

Breese-Iverson, who serves as minority leader in the Oregon House, posted an apology to her official Facebook page, and attached a handwritten apology she said was written by her son.

She wrote: “Out of extremely poor judgement and without considering the impact this photo would have, he posed in front of the aircraft. My husband and I have been in contact with the school administration about enforcing adequate consequences for his actions, both at school and at home. In no way do my husband or I condone these actions, and we apologize to anyone impacted by this image.”

Breese-Iverson did not return a call made by The Bulletin to her office. The Oregon House Republican Caucus replied on her behalf and provided the Facebook statement above.

In the attached letter, her son wrote, “It was a dumb mistake. I really get that now. Doing something bad in the moment without thinking can cause harm. I apologized to anyone that was offended and accepted the punishment handed down to me by the school and my parents.”

The Crook County School District was not made aware of the incident until the following day and wrote in a statement, “Crook County School District does not condone or tolerate any form of discrimination, hate speech, or the use of symbols that are considered hate speech. School administrators take issues like this seriously and utilize existing policies for appropriate disciplinary action.”

Due to student privacy laws, the district was not able to address the specific disciplinary action.

Resignation demanded

The Central Oregon Diversity Project, a local activist group, wrote an open letter to Oregon citizens demanding Breese-Iverson’s resignation and action from the school district. The letter was signed by the board members of Central Oregon Diversity Project and further called for the Oregon Legislature and Gov. Tina Kotek to hold Breese-Iverson accountable.

Breese-Iverson has also blocked people from viewing her political Facebook page with the apology, said Josie Stanfield, Central Oregon Diversity Project board member, along with other users of Facebook.

Blocking people from viewing or commenting on social media is unconstitutional for public officials who use those social media accounts as official accounts for their office because that space then becomes a public forum, wrote the ACLU.

“We have a problem with the way Vikki Breese Iverson has and is conducting herself. We feel that if she can’t handle the scope of parenting her child who is nearing adulthood and was caught perpetuating Nazi symbolism, then she is also not fit to fill her elected position,” said Stanfield, speaking on behalf of herself and the other project directors.

“No person should feel comfortable having a person like that representing Oregon as the Minority Leader of the Oregon House of Representatives. We will be working further to hold Vikki Breese Iverson accountable to her role in office, and her only way out of that accountability is to make the choice to resign.”

State Rep. Emerson Levy, D-Bend, emphasized the focus on Holocaust education and not censoring books or history when teaching students.

“If students had a true, in-depth knowledge about the Holocaust and pogroms, they would not have done that,” she said.

In a statement, Levy wrote, “When something is wrong, we say something, partly to ensure that harmful outcomes don’t reoccur. If we as a community fail to present and learn from the past, honestly, we will be doomed to relive that nightmare because, without intervention, history will repeat itself.”

Nazi artifacts

Museums continue to display Nazi artifacts o educate the public, said Kelly Cannon-Miller, executive director of the Deschutes Historical Museum.

“More than ever, museums need to shine a light on them and teach what these artifacts represent, both during World War II and in post-World War II America. Hiding these artifacts in back rooms, being afraid to view them and discuss them, only gives them more power,” she said.

Cannon-Miller said that even though World War II is abstract for current and future generations, artifacts help teach about the reality of the war.

“These young men entered the museum with the knowledge that such items and actions like the Heil Hitler salute are frightening, offensive, and grotesque, and that the swastika and Heil Hitler salute represent genocide and mass murder,” she said.

The Erickson Aircraft Collection, located in Madras, was closed Monday and not available for comment.

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