A New Jersey middle school is trying to figure out how a baby picture of Adolf Hitler ended up in their yearbook. The baby photos from the graduating eighth graders at East Brook Middle School in Paramus are from 2012 and 2013. But a black-and-white photograph of Hitler shortly after his birth in 1889 was part of the collage after it was submitted by a student. “I’ve seen kids at the park here who joke about that stuff. It’s not funny at all, it’s just gross,” said 17-year-old Jackson Tarabokija. The incident has sparked questions about how no one noticed before it went to print. The early image of the Nazi dictator who ordered the deaths of more than six million Jews during World War II made it through the proofreading phase and went to print. Shortly after East Brook graduating eighth graders starting signing each other’s yearbooks earlier in June, a teacher sounded the alarm. “When anything happens like this, it’s disappointing because I know one bad apple doesn’t reflect the 27,000 residents that love this community and call it home,” said Paramus Mayor Chris DiPiazza. The yearbooks were collected before students could take them home and school administrators said they were working on returning corrected versions so the photo won’t remain in circulation. East Brook’s principal emailed families, saying in part, “even if the image was not immediately recognizable, its inclusion in an official school publication is a severe breach of our values.” A parent said that it was a “stupid prank” that the student should be punished for, but did not think law enforcement should get involved. “It’s important for the child to understand his mistake, learn that it’s a serious mistake, but it shouldn’t define his life,” said math teacher Mike Neibart. The Bergen County prosecutor’s office did get involved, however, calling it a “bias incident” and not a bias crime. The Paramus mayor said the student who submitted the photo has been identified, but it was not clear if there would be any consequences for the incoming high school freshman. ...read more read less