Michigan State University (MSU) has issued an apology and suspended an employee after an image of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler was displayed on the stadium videoboard before a football game on Saturday night. The image was part of a trivia quiz that asked where Hitler was born, and it sparked outrage and criticism from many people who saw it.
MSU apologizes for the ‘inappropriate’ and ‘harmful’ content
MSU athletic director Matt Larson said in a statement that the university was aware of the “inappropriate content by a third-party source” that was shown on the videoboard prior to the start of the game against the University of Michigan. He said the university was “deeply sorry for the content that was displayed, as this is not representative of our institutional values.”
Larson added that the university would stop using the third-party source, which was later identified as a YouTube channel called The Quiz Channel, and implement stronger screening and approval procedures for all videoboard content. He also said that an employee who was responsible for the content was suspended with pay pending an investigation.
MSU interim president Teresa K. Woodruff also sent an email to alumni on Sunday, expressing her apology and condemnation of the image. She said she asked for a full review of the incident and would take all necessary steps to align the university’s messages and actions with its values. She said she would work with the Jewish community and other marginalized groups to ensure that MSU is a welcoming and safe place for everyone.
The Quiz Channel says it was unaware of MSU using its content
The Quiz Channel is a YouTube page that produces weekly trivia quizzes covering various topics such as general knowledge, music, geography, and film. The image of Hitler was uploaded on October 13 as part of a quiz titled “General Knowledge Quiz #51”. The quiz also included questions about celebrities, animals, countries, and sports.
Floris van Pallandt, the creator of The Quiz Channel, told CNN in an email that he did not know that MSU was using his content for stadium entertainment and that it was unsolicited and unauthorized. He said he did not intend to offend anyone with his quizzes and that he tries to make them diverse and educational. He said he chose the question about Hitler because he thought it was a historical fact that many people might not know.
He also said he regretted that his quiz caused such a controversy and apologized to anyone who felt hurt by it. He said he would remove the question from his video and be more careful with his future quizzes.
MSU faces criticism from Jewish groups and social media users
The display of Hitler’s image at MSU’s stadium drew sharp criticism from Jewish groups and social media users who denounced it as antisemitic and insensitive. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of Michigan tweeted that it was “appalled” by the incident and called for accountability and education. The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit also tweeted that it was “deeply disturbed” by the image and urged MSU to take swift action.
Many social media users also expressed their anger and disbelief at the image, calling it “disgusting”, “disrespectful”, “ignorant”, and “unacceptable”. Some users also questioned how such a mistake could happen and why no one checked or vetted the content before displaying it. Some users also pointed out that the incident occurred during a time of rising antisemitism and hate crimes in the US and around the world.
