OLYMPIA, Wash., Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Administrators at an Olympia, Wash., middle school canceled the school's zombie dress-up day after some students were seen doing Nazi salutes in class.
Parents of Reeves Middle School students received an e-mail from school officials Tuesday that said students were observed doing "Heil Hitler" salutes during the pledge of allegiance, calling each other Nazis and drawing swastikas on their hands, KIRO-TV, Seattle, reported.
The Olympia School District said the students' behavior is likely tied with the video game "Call of Duty: Black Ops," in which players shoot at zombie Nazis.
The game is rates for players older than 17, which Game Freaks owner Brian Morrill said there is a reason for.
"There's a lot of material in there inappropriate for younger kids who take things differently than adults," Morrill said.
The game does not glorify Nazis but did inspire some students to mimic Nazi gestures, Reeves administrators said.
"As you can imagine, that behavior is just not appropriate or tolerated in our schools," school district spokesman Ryan Betz said.
As a result of the incident, the principal at Reeves canceled a zombie dress-up day scheduled for Wednesday and instead said students were allowed to wear school colors.
"It would be a good teaching opportunity, for them to talk about the Holocaust and what Hitler actually did and how horrible it was," said Dana Reed, who has a son at Reeves.
