"Insensitive and inappropriate": Teachers dress up like border wall, Mexican stereotypes for Halloween
Photos of Idaho school teachers dressed as a border wall and Mexican stereotypes are going viral online. Middleton School District staff is under fire for their offensive costumes, and the photos have prompted an investigation by the school district, CBS Boise affiliate KBOI reports.
Several photos of teachers' Halloween costumes were shared on the Middleton School District Facebook page. One photo showed six teachers behind fake brick walls, wearing patriotic outfits, with President Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan written across the wall. Another photo showed teachers in sombreros with fake mustaches and maracas. These photos have since been deleted from the school district's Facebook after many took offense to the outfits. KBOI obtained screenshots of the photos in question.
Superintendent Dr. Josh Middleton addressed the costumes in a Facebook Live video Friday. "Last night, a parent contacted me expressing concern of staff costumes worn here on Halloween," Middleton said. "I'm deeply troubled by the decision by our staff members to wear those costumes that are clearly insensitive and inappropriate ... We are better than this."
Friday's live-stream was fully dedicated to addressing the costume controversy. "We already have district administration looking into the matter first thing this morning," Middleton said. He stressed that the school districts embraces all students. "Do I think there was a malicious intent in these poor decisions? No, I don't. Was there a poor judgement involved? Absolutely."
KBOI says the station has received several emails and phone calls from upset residents. "Unfortunately, this is the environment that children are going to school in," one parent wrote. "As a mother to a minority child, I would be mortified if this were my child's teacher. They should be fired."
It is unclear which school the teachers in each group work in.
