A Halloween costume at Cienega High School sparked outrage after photos of math teachers in blood-stained “Problem Solved” shirts went viral, prompting false rumors, threats and an official response from the Vail Unified School District.

The district posted the photos on social media on Halloween, and a Turning Point USA spokesman speculated that because the blood appeared only on the left side of the shirts, they were mocking the Sept. 10 fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Vail Unified School District Superintendent John Carruth quickly disputed the claims in an email sent to the campus community, writing that the costumes were not intended to be political.

“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,” Carruth said. “Unfortunately, the image is being shared online with false claims that they were intended as a statement of recent events in our country. This is unequivocally untrue.”

This also wasn’t the first year the math teachers wore the costumes. Last Halloween, the district posted a similar photo on social media of its math teachers wearing the same shirts.

“The shirts were purchased online and were also worn last year as part of the same math-themed costumes, long before recent events,” Carruth said.

But rumors continued to circulate, and threats to Cienega staff prompted Principal Kim Middleton to request an increased law enforcement presence on campus Monday, Nov. 3, due to aggressive online comments.

Carruth wrote that the rumors were unacceptable and did not represent the spirit of Vail’s schools.

“We are also saddened that our teachers are now receiving hurtful messages and online harassment as a result of this misunderstanding,” Carruth said. “We want to be clear — personal attacks, threats or doxxing are never acceptable and do not reflect the values of our community. All threats are being reported to the police.”

Arizona Education Association President Marisol Garcia also released a statement about the situation, condemning the threats and all forms of political violence.

“In recent days, opponents of public education have exploited the shooting at Utah Valley University to justify threats against the lives and livelihoods of our members,” she said. “We urge all public officials to do the same. Educators cannot teach and students cannot learn under threat of harassment and doxxing.”

Garcia said that teachers already face plenty of hardships in the classroom and called on state officials and lawmakers to stop contributing to them. She pointed to Arizona’s large teacher vacancy, saying she does not want to see it increase.

“We urge school leaders and public officials to avoid actions that could validate or encourage threats against educators,” Garcia said. “School and district leaders must consider the legal and contractual rights of union members and give equal weight to justice and due process.”

Arizona State Rep. Rachel Keshel took a different position, issuing her own statement demanding that the math teachers be fired.

“I am calling on Superintendent John Carruth to take immediate and decisive action: terminate the employment of every individual involved in creating, wearing or permitting these abhorrent costumes,” Keshel said. “Anything less sends a dangerous message that hate has a home in our classrooms.”

Keshel said her daughter, a recent Cienega graduate, told her no math teachers wore the shirts in 2024. She also said that even if the shirts weren’t directly related to Kirk, they were still violent and should not be worn in a classroom.

Pictures of the Halloween costumes and a public statement by the district have since been deleted from the district’s website and social media, but comment sections on Facebook posts from the week before Halloween are filled with criticism.

Many commenters said that teachers wearing blood-covered shirts in the era of school shootings was inappropriate. Others noted that Cienega does not allow students to wear fake blood, questioning why teachers were permitted to do so.

“The Vail School District remains committed to maintaining safe, supportive school communities where every student and staff member feels respected and valued,” Carruth said in his email to staff.

Emma LaPointe is a journalism, political science and German Studies major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at emma.m.lapointe@gmail.com.

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