East Bay teacher on leave after complaints of conspiracy theories, bigoted materials



A teacher at an East Bay high school remained in his classroom for two months after students complained he taught antisemitic conspiracy theories, with administrators doing nothing to counter the hate speech, according to students and teachers who spoke at a school board meeting last week.
In separate conversations with The Chronicle, members of the school community also alleged English teacher Henry Bens used a Nazi salute in his classroom.
Approximately 100 students at Mt. Eden are enrolled in Bens’ sophomore English classes. Bens also gave students photocopies of “The Hidden Tyranny,” a pamphlet that falsely claims that Jewish people secretly control a “brainwashing” media monopoly as well as the economy and U.S. government, according to students and teachers.
Another student said he told the class that “other teachers are a bunch of punks,” according to the summary.
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