Idaho School Staff Put on Paid Leave for ‘Border Wall,’ Mexican Halloween Costumes

Fourteen staff members of an Idaho school district were placed on paid administrative leave after they dressed up as Trump’s “border wall” and stereotypes of Mexicans for Halloween, the Associated Press reports. Middleton School District superintendent Josh Middleton announced the decision at a Saturday school board meeting. At the meeting, Board Chairman Tim Winkle reportedly said the costumes were “part of a team building activity after school hours.” Staff members who dressed up as the “border wall” posed behind pieces of cardboard with painted-on bricks and red, white, and blue letters spelling the phrase, “Make America Great Again.” Others dressed as Mexicans in sombreros, ponchos, and fake mustaches. Photos of the staff members wearing the costumes inside classrooms circulated social media after they were posted on the school district’s Facebook page Thursday night. On Friday, Middleton apologized for the “clearly insensitive and inappropriate” costumes in a video statement.