MIDDLETON, Idaho – The Idaho School District says teachers and assistants will return to work after wearing satirical costumes depicting the Mexican and Halloween border walls, but the interim principal will remain in office.
The Middleton School District Authority announced on Wednesday that staff will return to school within the next few days.
The district said in a statement: “Our focus is now on healing, and all of us have the opportunity to grow together.” “Today, we began the process of re-entering, training cultural sensitivities and relationships with parents, employees and communities. Communication.”
Last week, 14 staff members received paid administrative leave, and school district officials apologized after the staff put on Halloween costumes and posted photos on the school district Facebook page.
These photos were later deleted, but some people did not capture some viral screenshots and caused anger.
Supervisor Josh Middleton said in a live Facebook video on November 2 that he was warned by a parent who called to express his concern. He apologized on behalf of the area and said that he was deeply troubled by the fact that the staff decided to wear what he called “obviously insensitive and inappropriate” clothing.
From 2011 to 2014, Director Middleton served as Assistant Director of the Billings School. Prior to this, he was the head of the Laurel School District from 2003 to 2011. He accepted the work of Middleton, Idaho in December 2015, Idaho Publishing.
The teachers and assistants in the photo apologized in a statement on Wednesday.
Their statement said: “Although our intentions are not malicious or malicious, we have recently lacked an understanding of our understanding of the impact of choices made, no matter what our intentions are.”
Mark Hopkins was appointed as the interim president of Middleton Heights Elementary School on Saturday. The district said in a statement on Wednesday that Hopkins will continue to perform these duties.
The statement did not mention the principal Kim Atkinson, whose status in the region is still unclear.
Middleton is located approximately 34 miles west of Boise and has 7,500 inhabitants. According to the US Census Bureau, nearly 10% of Middleton’s population is Hispanic, and the school district provides immigration education programs.
Juan Saldana is a community resource development expert for the Idaho Spanish Affairs Commission, which discusses future training on cultural competence in the school district.
“In the school year, we may go to Middleton,” Saldana said.
