But the message is gone when wee on 02: 18: 00 on January 16, disturbed many parents who bother to read it. "You should read this book! It is rocking my world! "read the message, floating on the cover of a book. The cover was a star of David dark at the bottom, the Nazi flag between top and the title: "discussing the Holocaust: a new look on both sides."
The sender, Michael Santomauro, whose son is in third grade to 290 PS, on the Upper East Side, said Tuesday that it was not until minutes later when the two parents have responded with complaints that he realized his mistake. He intends to send the message to another group that belongs where members discuss whether the accounts of the Holocaust are exaggerated, and he apologized to parents for "total confusion".
Still, the damage has been done, and school officials and parents, many of whom are Jews, were stunned not only for e-mail, but also that there was the mother in the midst of them.
The main, Sharon Hill, called Mr. Santomauro to ask if his e-mail account may have been hijacked, or a virus had assumed control of his computer, and said what had taken place.
He then wrote to the parents of the school, saying: "e-mail can be an extremely useful tool or dangerous" and assured that "neither the school nor the PTA supports the views or opinions that may be implied by the author in this particular email".
In an interview, MS. Hill said the school was "taking this matter very seriously." For parents, wrote that she would contact the Defamation League "seek further clarity." From Tuesday, did not, but both parents had, said Ron Meier, Regional Director of the League.
He called Mr. Santomauro, 61, a "hard-core Holocaust denier who has promoted his beliefs through e-mail addresses for mass that are not always desired.
In the past, the protesters chanted "evict the Nazis" in front of his apartment building on Upper West Side. This time, said Mr. Santomauro, received threatening phone calls, and he has filed a police report.
Mr. Santomauro is Editorial Director of the American Division of thesis & dissertations Press, which publishes authors that the Holocaust under discussion, but live in countries where this is a crime. He has also published the book that was recommended in the email.
He said that he did not deny the Holocaust, but simply wanted to encourage debate. "There is no hatred coming from me," he said. "There is no reason if you question aspects of what may or may not happen or what weapon of murder was used during the Holocaust should be called an anti-Semite".
Melinda Boats-Scopaz, father of a kindergartner to beg, he said when he read the email that "came to the conclusion that this guy is a moron."
"I'm sure that the parent does not commit that once again," he said.
Noah Rosenberg contributed reporting.
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