Fake Anne Frank quote in Bergen yearbook was not malicious, superintendent says

OAKLAND − A student's overlooked "inappropriate comment" in this year's Indian Hills yearbook "was not malicious," the district stated on Friday.

Acting Superintendent Melissa Quackenbush stated Friday that the district "conducted a thorough investigation" of the statement found under a senior's formal photo: "'They found me' − Anne Frank." It is not a quote from the Jewish 16-year-old's iconic diary about her two years in hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The entries end before the family is "found" and sent to concentration camps. Its meaning is unclear.

"Our review has determined that no harm or offense was intended by the student," Quackenbush said. "While the quote was not reflective of our district's values, it is evident that the student's action was not malicious."

Quackenbush acknowledged "the sensitivity of the current climate and the concerns of our community" again apologized for "any concern this may have caused."

"As a precautionary measure, we are enhancing our review processes to prevent incidents in the future," Quackenbush said. "We are committed to establishing more rigorous procedures for student publications moving forward."

Quackenbush stated Thursday that officials from the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey had been contacted to consult with the school district on further action and direction.

“Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey is dismayed with the insensitive and inappropriate posting in the Indian Hills yearbook," said Alana Burman, director of Jewish Community Relations for the Federation. "However, we are pleased with the immediate response of the school administration and look forward to our continued collaboration on education and awareness with regards to antisemitism and hate bias in general. We also hope this unfortunate incident will result in better processes in the future.”

NorthJersey.com has opted not to use the student's name or the yearbook photo in question. The family could not be immediately reached for explanation or comment.

Undistributed copies of the yearbook have been confiscated, and a reprint without the comment will be available this summer, Quackenbush said. Requests for a new book should be emailed to IHMainOffice@rih.org by June 21.

The Ramapo Indian Hills School district serves students in Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Indian Hills yearbook quote not intended as malicious: official