Ron DeSantis amplifies false claim about math teachers’ Halloween costumes
Story by Billal Rahman
• 3h
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis shared a viral social media post claiming that Arizona teachers were “glorifying a murder” with Halloween costumes allegedly referencing conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death.
But school officials say the costumes were math-themed, predated the incident, and had no connection to any political figure.
Why It MattersKirk, cofounder of Turning Point USA, was shot dead in September while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Investigators say the shot was fired from the roof of a nearby building, striking Kirk in the neck and causing his death later that afternoon at a hospital.
What To KnowThe viral photo shows the teachers wearing white T-shirts splattered with fake blood and the words “Problem Solved,” a design the local school district says is a recurring math-themed costume unrelated to any individual.
“It’s been really disturbing to see teachers across the country glorifying a murder just because they disagreed with the victim,” DeSantis wrote in a post on X on November 1.
In a follow-up post, the Florida governor wrote: “Here is the explanation from the school district re: the bloody shirts. Some have cast doubt on this explanation, but people can read it and decide for themselves.”
Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet initially criticized teachers at an Arizona high school on Saturday, saying their costumes appeared to mock the death of Kirk, but he partially retracted those remarks after it was revealed that the costumes had been worn in previous years, before Kirk’s death.
Superintendent John Carruth of the Vail School District issued a statement confirming that the image originates from Cienega High School’s math department. The school pushed back on the claim that the shirts referenced the death of Kirk.
Carruth said the shirts are part of a recurring math-themed Halloween joke, a play on “problem solved.”
“The shirts were worn in reference to solving math problems. Any reference that these shirts were related to something other than that are simply false and untrue,” Carruth wrote in a post on Facebook.
He noted that similar shirts have appeared in photographs from previous years, long before the death of Kirk.
“These shirts were worn both this and last year as part of math-themed Halloween costumes and were not intended as a reference to any person, event, or political issue,” Carruth said.
The teachers have reportedly faced harassment and doxing online after the photo circulated. A screenshot circulating on social media lists the names and numbers of the staff.
Republican candidate for Arizona Senate Chris King also weighed in on X, posting that the same teachers wore the same shirts last year.
Kolvet issued a follow-up statement acknowledging that the costumes had been worn in previous years, but he continued to express concern over the T-shirts, pictured below.
“We’ve seen enough evil since Charlie’s murder that I’d actually be relieved if this isn’t another example,” he said on X. “That being said, it’s a very weird costume for teachers in general, but after what happened to Charlie, I’m absolutely floored they wore it again.”
Ron DeSantis amplifies false claim about math teachers’ Halloween costumes
What People Are SayingSuperintendent Carruth wrote in a post on Facebook: “We understand that a recent social media post showing members of Cienega’s math department wearing shirts that say ‘Problem Solved’ has caused some confusion and concern.”
Journalist Mehdi Hasan wrote in a post on X: “Insane that they’re doxing and inciting against a group of math teachers who used these T-shirts last year too. Same people who pretended to care about political violence after Kirk now just putting a target on these innocent teachers’ backs.”
“Concerned parents just sent us this image of what’s believed to be teachers in [the Vail School District] in Tucson, Arizona, mocking Charlie’s murder with costumes that read ‘Problem Solved’ and blood down the left side of their shirts,” Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said in a post on X. “They deserve to be famous, and fired.”
Republican candidate for Arizona Senate Chris King wrote in a post on X: “They are math teachers making a math joke for Halloween. They’re not attacking anyone.”
Far right commentator Benny Johnson wrote in a post on X: “All of these teachers need to be fired immediately. Sick and evil. They aren’t even hiding it anymore.”
Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah said in a post on X: “One of the most famous men in Arizona history was recently gunned down in cold blood—wearing a shirt that became soaked with blood in a way that was reminiscent of the ghastly shirts they wore. Their “we wore these last year too” defense—even if it’s true—doesn’t help them much.” |
