Michigan State University has apologized for using an image of Adolf Hitler during a pregame quiz on Saturday.
Before a football game at Spartan Stadium, a picture of Hitler was displayed alongside a trivia question asking about his birthplace of Austria. After images of the event circulated online, a university official said Sunday that an employee has been suspended
"An initial assessment was conducted, and an involved employee has been identified and suspended with pay pending the results of an investigation," Alan Haller, a Michigan State vice president and its director of athletics, said in a statement. "The investigation will determine any future appropriate actions."
University officials did not reveal whether to act was intentional. Spokesperson Matt Larson said the institution was "deeply sorry" for the image's use, and that the school had severed ties with the "third-party source" that was responsible.
The picture of Hitler, the leader of the Nazi party whose regime killed over six million Jewish people during the Holocaust, was displayed just two weeks after Hamas attacks on Israel killed more than 1,500 Israelis, the vast majority of whom were Jewish.
Humanitarian conditions in Gaza
Since Israel declared war on Hamas, the nation has killed more than 5,100 Palestinian civilians in Gaza, over 40 percent of whom are children. The retaliatory acts have sparked outrage across the world, triggering protests over the humanitarian conditions and calls for a ceasefire.
While the incident at MSU has not directly been linked to the ongoing conflict, Haller said Sunday that it is the university's responsibility to screen all images and facilitate a safe environment for Jewish students.
"Michigan State Athletics is responsible for all content shown on its video boards. Before it was displayed, the video was not viewed in its entirety by anyone in athletics, exposing a failure in our process," he said. "Ultimately, it is my responsibility to make sure all those who interact with Spartan Athletics feel safe, valued and respected. I apologize for the pain it has caused our community."
