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VA School Officials Apologize for Anti-Semitic Stereotype in Student Artwork

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LORTON, Va. (AP) - A high school student's artwork that used anti-Semitic stereotypes has prompted school officials in Virginia to apologize.

The Washington Post reported Sunday that the student goes to South County High School in Fairfax County in northern Virginia.

An image shown at an exhibition at a community college depicts a man with a hooked nose carrying a bag of money. The caption reads: "No Jew in the world understands the importance of money."

Fairfax County Public Schools said the image was part of a series called "Racial Irony." It intended to convey a message that the "exaggeration of stereotypes spreads ignorance."

But it sparked criticism from some in the Jewish community. Superintendent Scott Brabrand apologized in a letter to the community and said the student did not intend to offend anyone.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.