A few articles are frustrating, not because of the content, but because the reporters refer to me, Logan, as “him” or “he.” Is it too much to expect reporters to use correct pronouns? Apparently.

I click on another headline: “Offensive Holocaust Assignment Protested by New York High School Seniors.”

Dad hovers and reads the article over my shoulder. I point to the first comment. It has a link to a letter written by members of our state government. “Wow. Look at this. Five state senators and three aldermen call for Munro’s resignation.”

“I don’t even know what to say. This is a stunning development, Logan.”

Opening up Google Docs, I set up a list of articles and op-eds with their links, then send an email to Cade, Dad, and Blair so that they can view and edit. I also set up Google alerts. Almost immediately, I get a notification that the Huffington Post and the Washington Post wrote about the debate. I receive notices from political blogs, Jewish online papers and magazines.

Blair texts: “Got your email. OMG! AMAZING! Mr. Buttley should be crapping in his pants. At work now, will read more articles later.”

“This will change things,” Dad says. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get my tablet.”

I begin reading an article titled “Assignment Requires Upstate New York High School Students to Debate How to Exterminate Jews.” When I reach the third paragraph, I suck in a breath, then exhale. The reporter calls the assignment “child abuse and a sly way to indoctrinate Nazi beliefs on impressionable minds.” Abuse. Sly. Indoctrinate. Impressionable. Strong words. Abuse? This person doesn’t know Mr. Bartley, has never taken a class from him, and it bothers me that he wants him fired. So many people want Mr. Bartley fired.

In our interview with Bethany she quoted us. “Our purpose is only to have the debate canceled and for it to never be a part of the curriculum again.”

What baffles me is Mr. Bartley’s silence. He hasn’t made one statement to the press. But maybe with this kind of global response, he will finally understand?

Dad returns to my room. I give him my chair and bring my laptop to my bed.

Not every article supports our position. One website declares “Politician Conspires to Fire Teacher over History Lesson.” It says that Cade and I are pawns to bolster New York Senator Andrew Kelly’s reelection campaign and his platform to increase spending for public education. It’s so absurd, I laugh. Cade and I have never met Andrew Kelly, but obviously people will say anything to promote their agenda.

Are we supposed to do something about it? It’s a question I’ll ask Lissa Chen.

“Teacher’s Creative WWII Lesson Deserves High Praise” calls the assignment ingenious. Valuable. Honorable. The site is run by a white supremacist.

And “High School Teacher Dares to Teach Truth.”