Here & Now

Baraboo Comes Together After Nazi Photo

Frederica Freyberg:
We move from national politics to local news. Local news in Wisconsin that is getting worldwide attention. In tonight’s closer look, we go to Baraboo, where a small community is dealing with the global fall-out after a photo of high school juniors allegedly making a Nazi salute went viral. More now from Marisa Wojcik, who heard from Baraboo leaders this week as they held an event to move the community forward.

Keri Olson:
As a Baraboo native, I’ve always been proud of our community and what it represents.

Marisa Wojcik:
The saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Keri Olson:
And all of a sudden, here was this photo surfacing that was disturbing at the very least and hurtful at some of the worst.

Marisa Wojcik:
But this prom photo has had more than 1,000 words written about it from around the world. That’s because this image of about 60 Baraboo high school juniors shows the group of students making what appears to be a Nazi salute.

Nanci Caflisch:
You know, when it initially came out, of course there was shock, there was question, but then it quickly became how do you deal with all of the media that wants a story.

Marisa Wojcik:
The photo, taken last spring and posted on a local photographer’s website, went largely unseen until months later, when a Twitter account named GoBaraboo posted the image. From there, it went viral.

Marcy Huffaker:
It was kind of terrifying the first time I saw the photo. It was just scary and horrifying to see that picture.

Marisa Wojcik:
Marcy Huffaker and her family are part of a very small minority who identify as Jewish in the Baraboo community.

Marcy Huffaker:
It’s a small town. We know many of the boys and their families in that photo so… it’s just shocking.

Marisa Wojcik:
Baraboo is a small city with a population of about 12,000. It’s not mystery as to who is pictured in the photo. But despite everybody knowing each other, there are still major questions that remain unanswered for many. What’s happening in the photo and who is to blame?

Marcy Huffaker:
It’s possible they feel like they’re blamed for, you know, everything that’s happened when in reality, there are a lot of parts to it. There’s the photographer who posted it on his website. There’s whoever posted it on social media and whoever re-posted it with the racial slur.

Nanci Caflisch:
Nobody knows what their intentions were, but it is a big deal to make that sign and to put the picture out there.

Marisa Wojcik:
But it’s it difficult not to search for students’ motives behind making such a gesture.

Keri Olson:
Because if they could at least hear it from the students, it would help them to find some level of closure or a better understanding as to how we best proceed.

Marisa Wojcik:
But one Baraboo high school senior is confident of the intentions.

Phillip Zolper:
Yeah, it was — it was definitely a joke. There was no malicious intent behind it. It does not excuse it. It does not pardon it. But there is a difference there. It’s something that needs to be out there when the difference is between being insensitive and callous and being an actual white supremacist.

Marisa Wojcik:
Upon the image’s initial release, some of the students pictured in the photo spoke out, but since then, threats have been made and for fear of retribution, many are now staying silent.

Keri Olson:
We’ve heard bits and pieces and stories from individuals, but it’s been a difficult thing to try to put those students back in the spotlight because of their safety. Many individuals in this community have found themselves threatened because of this.

Marisa Wojcik:
The Baraboo School District announced the students would not be punished for their actions, citing the First Amendment, freedom of speech. Additionally, the photo was taken prior to a school event and not on school property. Some have been disappointed in the reasons the school district gave for not disciplining the students. But there has been a backlash in the community.

Keri Olson:
An anti-Semitic video satirizing Baraboo’s controversial prom photo and warning viewers to stay home December 18th, tomorrow high school event.

Marisa Wojcik:
The school district declined to be interviewed after multiple requests, saying besides their press releases, they’re unable to comment with an ongoing investigation into retaliatory acts. Despite the global commentary and condemnation, the Baraboo community decided to look inward and take the approach of restorative justice, not punitive. Over the last six weeks since the photo surfaced, members of the community have come together to organize multiple public discussions around what to do next.

Keri Olson:
Citizens had the opportunity to make recommendations, and then we distilled them down currently into a list of 12 points as a starting place.

Marisa Wojcik:
The Baraboo public forums culminated into a series called “Baraboo Acts.” Arno Michaelis, a former white supremacist and Pardeep Singh Kaleka, a Sikh whose father died at the hands of a shooter recruited by Michaelis, spoke to Baraboo community members on how to heal and grow together.

Arno Michaelis:
Some people were like, “Find me the kids in this photo. And being like, that’s Jim Smith. He goes to this college. He should be kicked out of school.” It was a very putative approach. That alarmed me greatly because there’s nothing more dangerous than someone with nothing left to lose.

Marisa Wojcik:
Some Baraboo community members are just trying to see the good from all of this.

Keri Olson:
It created an opportunity…

Audience member:
I’m a queer and transgender person.

Keri Olson:
…to all of a sudden feel brave enough to share some of their own stories when they didn’t feel welcomed.

Audience member:
And I have been a target of harassment

Keri Olson:
Or they felt different.

Audience member:
of people who identify with the neo-Nazi movement.

Keri Olson:
Or they felt marginalized. So I looked at it then as a much bigger conversation. We still have a great community here, and there are many good things happening. But as with any person or group of people, there’s always room for improvement, and room for learning and for growing.