Michigan State University apologized for displaying a picture of Adolf Hitler on its videoboard before Saturday’s Oct. 21 football game. The incident comes as concerns grow over hate attacks in the U.S. and heightened tensions on college campuses amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Michigan State displayed trivia questions on the board before kickoff. Photos of Hitler as one of the answers on the videoboard in Spartan Stadium began circulating on social media.
“MSU is aware that inappropriate content by a third-party source was displayed on the videoboard prior to the start of tonight’s football game,” an MSU statement read. “We are deeply sorry for the content that was displayed, as this is not representative of our institutional values.”
MSU suspended an employee over the incident. The university said the quiz was taken from a YouTube channel and would no longer use it as a source.
MSU interim President Teresa K. Woodruff sent an apology email to alums on Sunday, Oct.22.
“I am deeply sorry for the image displayed at Spartan Stadium, which made many of our community feel alienated and unsafe. It was unacceptable,” Woodruff wrote. “I asked last evening for a full review of this university event and will take all necessary steps to align our messages and actions to our values.”
Michigan State Director of Athletics Alan Haller said the image was “harmful to our communities, especially our Jewish community, which is currently experiencing a rise in antisemitism, including acts of violence.”
The YouTube channel creator told CNN that the university used his content without authorization, and he would not have chosen this particular question for a live stadium audience.