A group of teachers at a New Jersey high school sparked outrage by wearing Gulf of America T-shirts to class — in what some have called an attempt to bully Latino students in the majority Hispanic school.
Donned by a small cluster of Belleville High School teachers on a recent dress-down day, the shirts are a reference to President Trump’s executive order declaring the Gulf of Mexico should instead be called the Gulf of America, NJ.com reported.
But the overt political statement has others crying foul in the suburban township of about 35,000 perched 15 miles west of Manhattan.
“Our student body has been suffering, crying, coming into school, emails from kids saying their parents are not letting come back for fear that they get picked up by ICE raids,” one Belleville teacher wrote in a social media post.
“Our job is to support these kids and reassure them the school is safe place and to come here,” she continued.
“I feel as if those t-shirts at Belleville High School are sending a clear-cut message to these kids in order to intimidate them and to bully them.”
The Essex County town is 53% Hispanic, according to the US Census Bureau, as are nearly three-quarters of Belleville High’s students.
On Tuesday, district superintendent Nick Perrapato sent a short, vague letter to parents saying the matter was being addressed internally.
“Last week, a small group of staff members wore coordinated clothing that some students and staff found offensive,” Perrapato wrote in the letter obtained by The Post.
“We understand this has impacted members of our community in different ways, and we take these concerns seriously.”
The superintendent wouldn’t specifically say how he planned to address the problem, claiming it was a personnel matter.
“We recognize that political discourse can be especially charged, and we encourage thoughtful actions and respectful conversations among our students and staff,” Perrapato wrote.
The local school board’s policies protect free speech, but generally bar teachers and staff from engaging in politically charged activity on school grounds — such as handing out circulars or encouraging people to sign petitions, NJ.com said.
But it doesn’t say much about clothes bearing political slogans.
Many parents who took to a private Facebook parents’ group didn’t understand why the shirts were a problem.
But some pointed out that the inflammatory clothing had no place in district buildings.
“It’s a matter of decorum and setting a good example,” one parent wrote.
“Teachers and anyone in a position of influence over children shouldn’t be wearing stuff like this. Like if they all wore shirts saying I LOVE MILFS or something equally as ridiculous.”
“Don’t bring that to work even if u believe it personally,” another parent wrote. “U send the wrong message to students. It’s the gulf of Mexico always has been.”
