An Arizona school district has apologized for causing "confusion and concern" over a viral social media post, which some believed was intended to mock the September assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

The controversy erupted Saturday when Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA — the organization Kirk co-founded — shared a photo on X  showing eight educators from Cienega High School's math department in the Vail School District posing in matching white T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase "Problem Solved." 

The plain white shirts with black text — which were splattered on the left side with what appears to be a blood-like dark red dye — bear somewhat of a resemblance to the white "Freedom" T-shirt worn by Kirk, 31, on Sept. 10 when he was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University.

The left-side placement of the red stains in the photo fueled speculation that the costumes were a deliberate jab at his death, which authorities have described as a politically motivated attack.

Concerned parents just sent us this image of what's believed to be teachers in @vailschools in Tuscon, Arizona mocking Charlie's murder with costumes that read "Problem Solved" and blood down the left side of their shirts.

They deserve to be famous, and fired. pic.twitter.com/bs95p2lkU0

— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) November 1, 2025

"Concerned parents just sent us this image of what's believed to be teachers in @vailschools in Tuscon [sic], Arizona mocking Charlie's murder with costumes that read 'Problem Solved' and blood down the left side of their shirts," Kolvet wrote in the post, which garnered thousands of views and calls for the teachers' dismissal. "They deserve to be famous, and fired."

The image quickly drew condemnation from conservative politicians, including Arizona GOP state Rep. Rachel Jones, who demanded proof that the outfits were not a recent invention. "I want to see the evidence that the Cienega High School math department wore the same shirts last year @vailschools," Jones posted on X. "Post the picture. I'll wait."

Within hours of the controversy, Vail School District Supt. John Carruth responded with a detailed statement to parents, firmly denying any connection to Kirk's killing and attributing the costumes to a longstanding Halloween tradition in the math department.

"A photo showing teachers wearing shirts that say 'Problem Solved' has caused confusion and concern," Carruth said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. "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."

Carruth said the outfits were purchased online and reused from last year, months before Kirk's assassination. "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."

An image shared with CP shows an unidentified group of adults wearing the same T-shirts in a social media post dated Oct. 31, 2024. It's not clear on which platform the image was posted.

A CP review found several versions of the shirts worn by Cienega staff were available for purchase online as early as July 2025 — months before the fatal shooting at Utah Valley University.

Carruth's letter expressed deep regret over the unintended fallout, including online harassment directed at the veteran educators, many of whom, he said, have served the district for years. 

"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," he wrote. "The teachers involved care deeply about their students and this community. 

"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," he added. "The shirts will not be worn again."

Kolvet later acknowledged the district's timeline after reviewing evidence of the prior year's use.

"Vail Schools said these math teachers wore the same costume last year," he wrote. "I was waiting for confirmation, and it appears they did. We've seen enough evil since Charlie's murder that I'd actually be relieved if this isn't another example. 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."

In the wake of Kirk's death, students and teachers from across the nation have faced backlash for mocking the assassination, including a student who was expelled from Texas State University for mimicking Kirk's fatal shot. Several U.S. companies have fired employees for mocking or otherwise supporting Kirk's assassination.