A Jewish teenager has been expelled from his school for allegedly breaching an anti-Nazi law by making an Adolf Hitler-style salute when his name was called out during a class.
The 18-year-old, identified only as Maksym M, claims he was forced to leave Blindow School in Leipzig, East Germany, because his Social Studies teacher believed he raised his hand in the manner of a Nazi during a lesson.
The unnamed teacher reportedly wrote in a report after the class: “When I called Maksym’s name, he reacted clearly by halfway raising his arm with his flat hand stretching upwards.”
Despite some of the student’s classmates sticking up for him by saying his actions had been misinterpreted by the teacher, he was expelled.
Michael Blindow, the school’s headteacher, apparently also called in the State Protection Office after he stated he believed Maksym M was an “extremist danger to society”. The public prosecutor’s office in Leipzig has dismissed this claim.
Article 86a of the German Criminal Code, the anti-Nazi law, forbids “the use of symbols of unconstitutional organisations” outside of the contexts of “art or science, research or teaching”. This includes the salute made famous by Hitler and his followers; the drawing of swastikas; or joining right-wing extremist groups.
Mr Blindlow has not commented but Maksym’s parents told Mailonline: “Our son was punished for something he did not do. We are expecting an apology from the headmaster.”
