School District Investigating Teachers Who Dressed as Border Wall, Mexicans

An Idaho school district is conducting an investigation after a photo of teachers dressed for Halloween as Mexicans and the border wall went viral.

The photos, posted to the Middleton School District’s Facebook page before being removed, depicted a group of six teachers at Middleton Heights Elementary School dressed as a border wall with the words “Make America Great Again” on it and a second group of seven teachers donning fake black mustaches and carrying maracas.

But the district later removed the photos, and the school district’s superintendent issued a statement apologizing for the photo, calling the costumes “clearly insensitive and inappropriate.”

“We are better than this, we embrace all students who have a responsibility to teach and reach all students,” Middleton School District Superintendent Dr. Josh Middleton said.

While Middleton said the costumes were probably an instance of poor judgment, the school district announced Friday it is investigating the issue.

“We now have to own those decisions,” he said. “I’d just again want to share what’s going on and express my sincerest and deepest apologies to our families, to our patrons.”

Data showing the demographics of the elementary school reveal that nearly 13 percent of its population is Hispanic.