Arizona high school teachers have received a flood of threats after a Halloween costume featuring fake blood was interpreted on social media as mocking the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The "Problem Solved" shirts, worn by math teachers at Cienega High School near Tucson, were intended as a math joke and had been used in previous years, district Superintendent John Carruth said. After the school's Halloween post that included a photo of the teachers went up, the Washington Post reports, allegations circulated online that the costume referenced Kirk's recent assassination, though there was no reference to the activist on the shirts.
State Rep. Rachel Keshel, a Republican, called for the teachers' firing, arguing the shirts were inappropriate regardless of intent and violated the dress code. By Monday, the teachers and their families had received hundreds of threatening messages. Authorities reported no credible threats, but the Pima County Sheriff's Office increased its presence at the school. The district shared examples of violent messages, including one suggesting the teachers should be "school shooting victims." Carruth apologized and said the teachers were distressed by the backlash, emphasizing that there was never any intent to reference violence or Kirk. He added the district would not allow the shirts in the future.
One person said in a post on X that her husband "honors and loves Charlie (Kirk) and he wore (the shirt) this week" after buying it last year, per the Arizona Daily Star. Kirk, who was killed in September at age 31, was a political activist and founder of Turning Point USA. On Saturday, a spokesman for the organization posted a screenshot of the photo of the teachers wearing the Halloween shirts. "They deserve to be famous, and fired," the spokesman wrote. Later in the day, he posted a photo of the teachers wearing the shirts last year. The superintendent said no students or parents at the school had complained about the costumes.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
