ARLINGTON (CBS11) – The Arlington pre-school teacher who was fired after anti-Semitic tweets came to light, sent CBS11 a statement saying she regrets the racist and anti-Semitic statements she made as a teen and does not feel that way now.
She said she is sorry for “the pain and hurt my words caused, especially to members of the Jewish faith.”
Among those identified by the watchdog group, Canary Mission, one in which she said, “Gassed a Jew. I’m sweating. Heil.”
In another, she asked, ‘How many Jews died in the Holocaust? Not enough, hahaha.”
A third, “Kiss the Palestine ground for me and kill some Jews.”
Here is her complete statement apologizing:
“Several years ago, while still a teenager attending high school, I made some racist and anti-Semitic statements that I deeply regret and believe are not a reflection of the beliefs I hold today. Furthermore, these statements were made at a time when I was not strong in my faith nor do they reflect the family values of inclusivity and respect for all faiths that my parents have worked very hard to instill in us. As many people can relate, teenagers often get involved with individuals that influence their behaviors and not always for the better and I deeply regret having been influenced in such a way.
That, however, does not excuse my actions and I am truly sorry for the pain and hurt my words caused, especially to members of the Jewish faith. As a Muslim American of Palestinian heritage, I am all too accustomed to being bullied and the target of hate speech so the fact that I made such statements is even more offensive because I should have known and acted with more compassion. Finally, even though these statements were made years prior to my employment at Children’s Courtyard and I do not espouse such sentiments today, I take full responsibility for my past statements and respect the actions my employer took to address the concerns as a result. Thank you.”
-Nancy Salem
