The Vail School District is responding after a photo of Cienega High School teachers wearing shirts that say “Problem Solved” with what looks to be fake blood on the shirts began circulating on social media.
Read the superintendent’s full statement below:
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 CarruthSuperintendent, Vail School District
District officials say the shirts were part of a math-themed Halloween costume meant to represent solving difficult math problems, not a statement about any person, event, or political issue.
The district says the shirts were also worn last year as part of the same costume idea, long before recent national events…