Halloween T-shirt controversy: Arizona school district teachers accused of mocking Charlie Kirk's death

TUCSON, Ariz. - An Arizona Representative is accusing members of a school district in southern Arizona of mocking the death of Charlie Kirk.

What we know:

A photo showing Vail Unified School District employees wearing "Problem Solved" shirts has circulated across social media. 

Rep. Rachel Keshel said the shirts appear to reference the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was shot and killed in September while speaking at a college event in Utah. 

Eight individuals, a part of Cienega's math department posed in the photo, wearing shirts that appear to be stained red with blood on the side of Kirk's fatal wound. 

The tweet below shows a now deleted response from the Superintendent of the school district, where he claimed the shirts were worn in reference to solving math problems. Those images were not provided. 

The Superintendent had apologized, saying in part, "We apologize that the wearing of these shirts caused concern and were upsetting to some. That was absolutely not the intent of those who wore them."

They noted that the T-shirts were worn last year as well, as part of math-themed Halloween costumes, and "were not intended as a reference to any person, event, or political issue," the redacted response said.  

What we don't know:

The original photo and response, both posted to Facebook, have since been deleted. The reason for the removal of their response is unknown. 

What they're saying:

The Representative issued the following statement on Nov. 1, regarding the post. 

"As a proud southern Arizona legislator, I am deeply outraged by the recent reports of staff at Vail Unified School District donning costumes that seemingly mock the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk—complete with ‘Problem Solved’ slogans and simulated blood stains on the same side that Charlie’s fatal wound was on. This grotesque display has no place in our schools, which should be sanctuaries of education, not arenas for political vitriol or celebration of violence. The pain inflicted on Charlie Kirk’s family, friends, and the broader conservative community is immeasurable, and to see educators potentially trivializing such a heinous act is not only insensitive but a profound betrayal of the trust parents place in our public schools. Arizona’s families deserve better than adults who prioritize partisan provocation over professionalism.

I must firmly reject any attempts to downplay this incident as mere ‘math problem-solving’ attire recycled from last year. Recent alumni, including my daughter, have confirmed these shirts were not worn by any of the math teachers last year. If this is incorrect, I would like proof. Although these shirts can be purchased on Amazon, they celebrate real-life murder, and are, minimally, extremely short-sighted and tone deaf after the country recently dealt with the horrific tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Such costumes aren’t harmless fun; they normalize the unthinkable—political assassination—in front of impressionable young minds. In a state like Arizona, where we champion free speech but hold sacred the principles of civility and safety, this crosses every line. It’s particularly alarming in a school setting, where children look to their teachers as role models, not as endorsers of extremism.

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. Anything less sends a dangerous message that hate has a home in our classrooms. Our kids’ well-being demands accountability, and I stand ready to support legislation ensuring such conduct faces swift consequences. Let’s recommit to unity, respect, and excellence in Arizona’s education system—starting today."

The other side:

The statement below was sent from the Superintendent to families on Nov. 2. 

"Dear Vail Parents and Families,

We’re writing to inform you about a situation that has been circulating on social media involving members of Cienega High School’s math department.

A photo showing teachers wearing shirts that say "Problem Solved" has caused confusion and concern. We want to clarify that 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.

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. The shirts were purchased online and were also worn last year as part of the same math-themed costumes, long before recent events. For anyone questioning the validity that the shirts were worn last year, I am happy to provide the photo to you.

We understand how this image could be misunderstood and taken out of context, especially by people who are not associated with the teachers or the school. We are truly sorry for the hurt or upset it has caused.

The teachers involved care deeply about their students and this community. Many have served Vail families for years. All of them are committed to protecting children, and none of them would intentionally cause hurt or pain. They too are truly sorry that this has caused concerns. The shirts will not be worn again. We appreciate the opportunity to learn from this experience and ask for your grace as we do so.

We are also saddened that our teachers are now receiving hurtful messages and online harassment as a result of this misunderstanding. 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.

We appreciate those who reached out with their concerns and hope this message provides clarity and reassurance. The Vail School District remains committed to maintaining safe, supportive school communities where every student and staff member feels respected and valued."

John Carruth
Superintendent, Vail School District

Arizona Education Association's statement

On November 3, AEA President Marisol Garcia released the following statement in response to death threats against educators in the Vail School District:

"Over the weekend, bad-faith actors mobilized an online mob against educators in the Vail School District. We are horrified by the barrage of death threats that followed, and we urge law enforcement to fully investigate all threats and protect the Vail community.

Vail educators deserve privacy and grace during this time.  All of us lose when our classrooms become the site of political fights."

Dig deeper:

Turning Point USA spokesperson and friend of Kirk, Andrew Kolvet, tweeted the now-deleted post, saying, "They deserve to be famous, and fired," and "Who's buying this explanation?"

On Nov. 2, "The Charlie Kirk Show" podcast host, Blake Neff, posted on X.com about how he had "..chosen to delete my posts/RTs yesterday about the math teachers with the blood soaked shirts." 

What's next:

Rep. Keshel is calling on the Vail School District Superintendent to fire the staff in the photo. 

FOX 10 reached out to the school district for comment and an interview request with Carruth, but did not hear back.