High school teachers in the US have unwittingly stirred up controversy online for their Halloween outfits.
The 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.
A number of social media users claim the shirt mocks the assassination of right wing political commentator Charlie Kirk.
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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.
His supporters have since turned on the Arizona teachers, saying the Halloween shirts mimic the “freedom” shirt he was wearing at the time of his death and the blood appears to be on the same side he was shot.
In a now-deleted post to X, Arizona state senator Jake Hoffman posted an image of the teachers and described them as “bloodthirsty”.
“Fire every single one of them immediately,” he wrote.
Vail School District superintendent, John Carruth, issued a statement to the district’s Facebook page on Sunday, saying the teachers wore the same shirts last year – prior to Kirk’s death – and any connection to Kirk is “unequivocally untrue”.
“We want to clarify that these shirts were part of a math-themed Halloween costume meant to represent solving tough math problems. The shirts were never intended to target any person, event, or political issue,” the now-deleted post reads.
“We understand how this image could be misunderstood and taken out of context, especially by people who are not associated with the teachers or the school. We are truly sorry for the hurt or upset it has caused.”
Carruth added teachers in the district have since received “hurtful messages and online harassment as a result of this misunderstanding”, including some having their personal information spread online.
But online furore has continued to grow as critics refute the legitimacy of a screenshot time-stamped on Halloween last year showing the teachers in the same shirts.
Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives, Rachel Keshel, similarly issued a statement questioning the picture’s legitimacy.
“I am deeply outraged by the recent reports of staff at Vail Unified School District donning costumes that seemingly mock the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk,” Keshel said.
“This grotesque display has no place in our schools, which should be sanctuaries of education, not arenas for political vitriol or celebration of violence.
“Recent alumni, including my daughter, have confirmed these shirts were not worn by any of the math teachers last year. If this is incorrect, I would like proof.
“Although these shirts can be purchased on Amazon, they celebrate real-life murder, and are, minimally, extremely short-sighted and tone deaf after the country recently dealt with the horrific tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.”
The Vail School district has since taken down the image and Facebook post, while Cienega High School’s website appears to have been taken offline.
7NEWS.com.au has approached Vail Schools District for comment.
