Fake Anne Frank Quote In Yearbook Frustrates Ramapo-Indian Hills School District

WYCKOFF AND FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ — The superintendent of a regional school district that draws from three Bergen County towns said she's investigating how an "inappropriate" quote, falsely attributed to Holocaust victim Anne Frank, wound up in the 2024 yearbook.

According to published reports, the quote under one student's picture says "They found me!" and is attributed to Frank.

Frank was the teen girl who hid from the Nazis in Amsterdam from July 1942 to August 1944, until she and her family were caught nine months before the end of World War II. Her family members were killed in the concentration camps in Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, but her father survived to publish her now-famous diary.

Ramapo and Indian Hills high schools serve students from Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes, and Oakland.

The discovery of the quote comes three months after the students began a program meant to teach about discrimination, including Holocaust education and racism, called "Better Together" (read more here).

That program came after administrators found a swastika in a Ramapo High School bathroom in January.

This past Thursday, the acting superintendent of schools, Melissa Quackenbush, issued a statement pledging to investigate the quote. And later, she issued a followup.

Both statements are here:

Statement from Ramapo Indian Hills School District Regarding Inappropriate Quote in Yearbook

An inappropriate comment was unfortunately printed in this year's Indian Hills senior yearbook, causing significant concern within our community. We deeply regret this oversight and assure you that we are taking appropriate measures to address the situation.

We are conducting a thorough review of our policies and procedures for student publications to ensure such errors do not occur again. Distribution of the remaining yearbooks has been halted, and we are in communication with the yearbook distributor to determine the timeframe for reprinting an updated version.

Additionally, we are consulting with the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey for guidance on how best to support our students. Engaging with the Jewish community will help us understand the impact of this incident and improve our efforts to foster a respectful school environment for all.

I want to underscore that such content is entirely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We extend our deepest apologies to all students, families, and community members. This incident will not be forgotten or left unaddressed.

Dr. Melissa Quackenbush
Acting Superintendent of Schools

Follow-Up Statement from Ramapo Indian Hills School District Regarding Inappropriate Quote in Yearbook

In response to the recent inappropriate comment in the Indian Hills senior yearbook, we have conducted a thorough investigation.

Our review has determined that no harm or offense was intended by the student. While the quote was not reflective of our district's values, it
is evident that the student's action was not malicious.

We acknowledge the sensitivity of the current climate and the concerns of our community. As a precautionary measure, we are enhancing our review processes to prevent incidents in the future. We are committed to establishing more rigorous procedures for student publications moving
forward.

We apologize for any concern this may have caused and thank you for your support as we strive to maintain the values of the Ramapo Indian Hills
Regional High School District.

Should you be interested in receiving a reprinted copy of the yearbook, which would be available later in the summer, please email your request to IHMainOffice@rih.org by June 21st.

Dr. Melissa Quackenbush
Acting Superintendent of Schools

Other Information

A spokesperson for the district declined, on Monday, to specify whether the quote was put there by the student in the photo above it, or someone else.

There has been some turmoil in the district, as the last superintendent left in November after clashing with the new school board majority. Among other things, the board overturned some of the administration's recommendations in more than one Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying case, as well as his recommendation on counseling programs in the schools. READ MORE: Ramapo-Indian Hills Superintendent To Head To Another District