Two Syracuse school employees put on leave for racist Halloween costumes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Two Syracuse school employees were put on administrative leave after being seen in racist Halloween costumes in photos posted to Facebook.

The two employees were pictured in a classroom wearing shirts with the phrase "No Lives Matter" with photos of fictional serial killers Michael Myers and Jason underneath.

When reached for comment, the Syracuse City School District condemned the shirts/costumes as "racist and insulting" in a statement on Saturday and said the two employees have been placed on administrative leave pending a Human Resources investigation.

The district's full statement:

We are aware of the recent post on social media. The two employees have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by our Human Resources Department.

We believe Black Lives Matter in the Syracuse City School District. The “costumes” are racist, insulting and offensive and not consistent with our core beliefs and values.

We hold our employees to a higher standard and expect them to model appropriate behavior for our students.