A high school in the US which stirred up controversy over teachers’ Halloween outfits have hit back at online agitators.
Mathematics teachers at Cienega High School in Tuscon, Arizona, posed for a photo wearing blood-stained shirts with the words “problem solved” printed on the front for Halloween.
WATCH ABOVE: School superintendent issues statement following Charlie Kirk controversy
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The image went viral online with a number of social media users claiming the shirts mocked the assassination of right wing political commentator Charlie Kirk.
Kirk was shot in the neck and killed while speaking to students at Utah Valley University in September, sending shockwaves through the American political landscape.
Republican senator for Arizona Jake Hoffman fanned the flames of online vitriol after he posted the image and described the teachers as “bloodthirsty”.
“Fire every single one of them immediately,” he wrote in the now-deleted post.
The controversy resulted in the school receiving dozens of threats against the staff members after social media users released their personal information online.
Screenshots of messages shared by the Vail School District with 7NEWS.com.au showed information such as addresses, ages and contact details, with some even praying for them to be physically harmed or killed.
“Your teachers need to be school shooting victims,” one message reads. “Bang.”
“May people s**t on their graves for the next eternity (sic).”
“Praying every member of this district defending that vile shirt ends up like (murder victim) Laken Riley,” another reads.
“F**k you guys, you guys are f**king pigs. Kill yourselves,” a man said in a voicemail to the school.
The volley of online abuse led to the school requesting a “law enforcement presence” at the campus on Monday.
“We have asked for high visibility from out partners at the Pima County Sherriff’s Office due to the aggressive nature of online comments over the weekend,” Cienega High School Principal, Kim Middleton, wrote in a letter to parents.
Superintendent issues statement
Vail School District Superintendent, John Carruth, explained the shirt were “simply to say that they were slaying math problems” and had been first worn during last year’s Halloween celebrations.
“We’ve spoken to each one of them individually, and all of them agree that was their only intent … they certainly in no way intended to call attention to any person or political issue or current event,” Carruth said in a video statement.
”Frankly, they feel horrible about that in retrospect.
“We shouldn’t have worn them, and we shouldn’t have posted it in retrospect and out of deep sympathy and understanding for all people who are victims of violence, including Charlie Kirk and his family. That’s critically important.”
While the school district has addressed issues raised by locals, Carruth added that most of the abuse had been received from social media users outside of the area.
“The tragedy and perhaps the silver lining and lesson from this is that people jumped to conclusion quickly,” he said.
“There was significant misunderstanding without simply stopping and checking.
“That led to people in our community being doxed and to threats being levied at them, concern for their personal safety happening from people who do not live in this community.”
