Neo-Nazi protestors
Neo-Nazi protestorsScott Olson/Getty Images

Parents were up in arms after a recent homework assignment given to sixth graders at Gwinnett Country's Shiloh Middle School in Georgia instructed students to draw a mascot for the Nazi party.

"The year is 1935 and you have been tasked with creating a mascot to represent the Nazi party at its political rallies,” read the assigned homework. “Think about all of the information you have learned about Hitler and the Nazi party. You will create a COLORFUL illustration of the mascot. Give the mascot a NAME. You will also write an explanation as to why the mascot was chosen to represent the Nazi party.”

Many parents were outraged. "I mean, it’s just demeaning,” parent Jamie Brown told CBS Atlanta. "I don’t understand it, really to be honest, that we’re actually creating a mascot for an individual that murdered thousands of people,” Brown said. “I guess I’m the voice for the voiceless, for the kids that can’t question the authority of the teacher, can’t question the legitimacy of the assignment that’s given out.”

School officials said that the students were learning about propaganda and the Holocaust and that the homework should not have been assigned. "This assignment is not a part of the approved materials provided by our social studies department and is not appropriate and the school is addressing the use of this assignment with the teacher,” school district spokesperson Sloan Roach said.