Update: Prominent N.J. athletic official admits making Hitler comments, apologizes for remarks.

School officials are expressing regret after a guest speaker displayed a picture of Adolf Hitler and described him as a “good leader" with “bad moral character and intentions" during a weekend presentation to Madison High School student athletes.

Madison Superintendent Mark Schwarz did not identify the speaker in a letter co-signed by three other administrators and sent to parents on Sunday, but said his presentation was not screened in advance and was “unnecessarily provocative and insensitive.”

All Madison High School students playing spring sports were required to attend an assembly Saturday aimed at promoting “positive leadership values and a culture of sportsmanship,” Schwarz wrote in his letter.

The guest speaker, who does not work for the K-12 district, showed pictures of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Derek Jeter and “other notable positive leaders,” Schwarz wrote.

“Conspicuous in this list, however, was a picture of Adolf Hitler shown side by side with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” Schwarz wrote.

“During his commentary, the speaker contrasted Dr. King and Hitler, referring to the latter as a ‘good leader’ with ‘bad moral character and intentions,'” Schwarz wrote.

Schwarz did not describe the reaction in the room.

Afterward, though, some students and parents “voiced serious concerns that the speaker referred to Hitler as a ‘good leader’ in any regard,” Schwarz wrote.

“The Madison school district shares these concerns,” he added in his letter.

“It was unnecessarily provocative and insensitive for the speaker to include the image of a criminal whose legacy includes the systematic torture and slaughter of millions of Jews, the disabled, and others in Eastern Europe,” Schwarz wrote.

"If the speaker intended to highlight an example of an effective leader with misguided intentions, a less emotionally-charged example would have been more effective and appropriate."

Moving forward, Schwarz said the district will require that any presentation from an outside speaker or vendor be screened in advance by a school administrator.

“To be clear, respectful academic analysis of genocide, bigotry and the methods of dictators is a critical focus of our district curriculum and is required by the New Jersey Student Learning Stadards,” Schwarz wrote.

“Our youth must understand the nuanced contexts of past horrors in order to recognize and protect against future atrocities. However, such studies should take place in the classroom environment with compassion for victims, under the supervision of our qualified teaching professionals,” Schwarz wrote.

Schwarz’s letter was also signed by Madison High School’s principal, Greg Robertson, and assistant superintendents Dan Ross and Frank Santora.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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