Petition supports border wall Halloween costume teachers

UPDATE: An online petition is collecting thousands of signatures from people who support staff members of an Idaho school district who donned caricatured outfits depicting Mexican people and a border wall.

As of Monday morning, more than 11,000 people had signed the petition on Change.org to reinstate 14 Middleton School District staff members who were placed on paid administrative leave. Parent Carmen Ives tells KBOI-TV they started the petition to save their teachers, staff and principal.

Photos were posted to the district’s Facebook page Thursday night and later removed, but screenshots captured the images that went viral. The border wall was emblazoned with “Make America Great Again.”

Middleton is about 34 miles west of Boise, with 7,500 residents.

The school district offers a migrant education program.

ORIGINAL:

Idaho school district officials are apologizing after several teachers and staffers at an elementary school donned offensive Halloween costumes, one group in caricatured outfits depicting Mexican people and another group dressed as a border wall emblazoned with “Make America Great Again.”

The Middleton School District Administration is investigating after learning of the costumes, which were worn during class. Photos were posted to the district’s Facebook page Thursday night, though they were later removed.

Superintendent Josh Middleton said in a statement Friday morning that a parent alerted him to the issue. He apologized on behalf of the district.

Middleton is about 34 miles west of Boise, with 7,500 residents. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, nearly 10 percent of Middleton’s population are Hispanic, and the school district offers a migrant education program.