Florida high school principal removed after refuting Holocaust was factual

The principal at a Florida high school has been removed after he told a parent that he considered the Holocaust to be a belief and not a fact.

William Latson will be reassigned from his position as principal of Spanish River High School in Boca Raton, WPTV reports.

"He should have been fired 100% and that's offensive to people that have relatives in the Holocaust and to myself for being a Jewish man," Spanish River graduate Jacob Shook said.

The Palm Beach County School District said "out of an abundance of concern" and respect for the students and staff at Spanish River, Latson will not be returning.

The school district described the principal's comments as a "grave error in judgment."

WPTV spoke to former students at the school about the controversy.

"Personally, at his level I feel like you should stay neutral for the sake of his position," Cole Goldberg said.

"He's teaching our children and he doesn't even have his facts straight," Shook said.

In emails with a parent last year, that were first reported at the Palm Beach Post, Latson said, "I can't say the Holocaust is a factual historic event because I am not in a position to do so as a school district employee."

He also said, "Not everyone believes the Holocaust happened."

The comments touched a nerve with Michael Zeidel, the former vice president of the Jewish Student Union at Spanish River, and many in the community.

"It shouldn't be a thing where he should be debating the Holocaust did happen, it's clearly a fact," Michael Zeidel said. "Regardless of political stance or religion, age, gender whatever, this isn't a debatable kind of thing."

WPTV tried to get a comment from Latson but was unable to reach him.