A group of students from Australia’s Charles Sturt University have come under fire after photos came to light of them in Nazi uniforms, concentration camp prisoner clothing and Ku Klux Klan robes.
The students were attending a “politically incorrect” themed costume party on Thursday to celebrate the end of their exams.
The Facebook event told revelers to “grab a kit that would legally get you in shit and hook right in,” the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Some students were reportedly also in blackface
In one photo posted to social media network Instagram, three students wearing the recognizable garb of concentration camp prisoners, complete with “Jude” Star of David patches, pose while another student in a Nazi uniform stands behind them. The Morning Herald reported the photo was captioned: “Jesus Christ, I Jews you as my lord and saviour #csulater #hazingisfun”
Dvir Abramovich, chairman of Australia’s Anti-Defamation Commission, called the costumes “enormously disturbing” and said the “foolish students crossed every line of decency.”
“Such vulgar, insensitive and shocking behavior not only mocked the suffering of the victims of racism and genocide, but trivialized the human horrors perpetrated by the Nazis,” he said in a statement.
Vice-chancellor of the university Andrew Vann told Fairfax Media that the educational institution would be “taking the strongest possible action” and pursuing the issue.
“We’re really disappointed that this kind of behavior is associated with us,” Vann said. “It’s not appropriate, it doesn’t match the university’s values.”
The hotel where the event took place said in a statement on Facebook that was later deleted, that it was unaware at the time that the students were wearing offensive costumes to the event, adding they have “zero tolerance and do not condone this sort of behavior,” the Morning Herald reported.