The school board of Palm Beach County, Florida, voted Wednesday to rescind the termination of William Latson, a high school principal who was fired last year after telling a parent, “I can’t say the Holocaust is a factual, historical event.”

In a 4-3 vote, the board approved a recommended order to reinstate Latson, transfer him to a position within the district commensurate with his qualifications, and award him over $152,000 in lost wages.

Prior to the Wednesday’s meeting, the board provided a phone number by which the public could leave brief recorded comments.

Board members sat in silence for over an hour and 40 minutes as the messages were played. Caller after caller condemned Holocaust denial and urged the board not to reinstate Latson.

Many callers expressed horror at the thought that a Holocaust denier would be given the opportunity to impact young minds.

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Many callers spoke of how the reality of the Holocaust had personally impacted their lives, robbing them of the opportunity to grow up with grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

Superintendent Donald Fennoy recommended that the board approve the reinstatement of Latson.

Board member Karen Brill, who voted against the reinstatement, told Latson, “You have already been tried and convicted in the eyes of the public, and that is something you will carry with you for the remainder of your career.”

“If we rehire Dr. Latson, it is going to be a stain on this school district that will never go away. And it’s not just a local stain in Palm Beach County; it’s a national stain,” she said.

Board chair Frank Barbieri, who voted against the reinstatement, said, “Dr. Latson should have known that his statement would cause local, national, and international anger and condemnation, ridicule of the Palm Beach County school district in general and Spanish River High School in particular, which in fact it did.”

Board Member Erica Whitfield, who voted against the reinstatement, said, “I do think we need, as a community, to realize that this is a stain on our community, and it does not represent us as a whole.” Read more at WIN