An Idaho school district has placed 14 staff members on administrative leave after their Halloween costumes triggered swift backlash earlier this week, the Associated Press reported. Teachers at Middleton Heights Elementary School wore costumes…
An Idaho school district has placed 14 staff members on administrative leave after their Halloween costumes triggered swift backlash earlier this week, the Associated Press reported. Teachers at Middleton Heights Elementary School wore costumes depicting Mexican stereotypes and a border wall, prompting widespread outrage and an apology from the school district’s superintendent. Bustle has reached out to Middleton Heights and the Middleton School District for comment.
According to The New York Times, the Middleton School District posted photos to its Facebook page showing some teachers posing behind a cardboard border wall that read “Make America Great Again,” while others donned fake mustaches and sombreros or American patriotic gear. Multiple advocacy groups, including Idaho’s ACLU chapter and Planned Parenthood, subsequently sent a letter to the school district’s superintendent — Josh Middleton — condemning the teachers’ “harmful” treatment of the Latinx community.
Following this backlash, the school district removed the costume photos from Facebook, and Middleton conducted a Facebook live-stream on Friday to announce an investigation into the matter.
“I’m deeply troubled by the decision by our staff members to wear those costumes that are clearly insensitive and inappropriate,” Middleton said during his live-stream. “We are better than this…. We embrace all students. We have a responsibility to teach and reach all students — period.”
More to come…
