A picture posted on Instagram of multiple Branham students lying on the football field and forming a swastika with their bodies has circulated widely and sparked outcry.

The picture was taken during lunch on Wednesday and posted in the afternoon with a caption quoting Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s Reichstag speech in German. Administrators received reports through the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System that evening and identified students through camera footage.

At 4 p.m. on Thursday, Principal Beth Silbergeld sent an announcement to students and parents titled “Our Commitment to Safety, Respect, and Inclusion at Branham High School,” stating that an incident circulating on social media “does not reflect the values of our school and community” and is under investigation. The announcement encouraged people to report concerns through the Say Something platform and reaffirmed that the school stands “against all forms of hate, discrimination, and intolerance.”

Many students have experienced an array of emotions since the Instagram post. 

Senior Cormac Nolan, a member of the Jewish teen movement BBYO and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), shared a screenshot of the post to his Instagram story, calling the hate speech unacceptable.

“When I first saw it, I was in shock,” he said. “I don’t know many openly antisemitic people. When I saw the post, I felt enraged. Hate has become too normalized.”

Senior Tamar Maysel, the president of the Jewish club, reacted similarly.

“This is blatant, explicit targeting towards Jewish people: the swastika, the Hitler speech and everything surrounding it,” Maysel said. “It was shocking to me that they think they can just do this.”

Maysel related the incident to the Holocaust.

“Every single person needs to realize that this is not okay regardless of what you believe in,” she said. “These little actions, combined with people’s complacency, is the reason [the Holocaust] happened [and] is the reason we face so much antisemitism to this day.”

According to friends of the students involved in the incident, they were suspended. 

During a meeting on Friday, Silbergeld asked teachers to suggest immediate and long-term action. She is currently working with the ADL and Bay Area Jewish Coalition to create lessons about hate and antisemitism. 

“I’m grateful for the support coming to Branham from concerned parents and students,” Silbergeld said. “While I am deeply saddened to know that this did happen at Branham this week, I know that we’re going to pull through it with a new sense of who we are and how to show up more for each other.”

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Jewish Community Relations Council offer resources and optional lessons such as Understanding Nazi Symbols.

Published on Instagram (@bhsbearwitness) on Dec. 5, 2025.