South Carolina school apologizes for employees' Border Patrol shirts at 'cantina' event

A South Carolina school district and elementary school apologized on Monday for a now-deleted Facebook post that showed two employees dressed as U.S. Border Patrol agents as they stood in front of a red makeshift wall.

Royall Elementary School in Florence, South Carolina received backlash online when shared a Facebook post on July 31 for its “Royall Cantina" event.

While the majority of the employees appeared to be wearing sombreros and brightly colored clothing in an attempt to match the Latin American bar theme, two of them were photographed wearing gray shirts with "U.S. Border Patrol" printed on them.

In a subsequent Facebook post shared on Aug. 1, Royall Elementary wrote, "It is with regret that we acknowledge that a picture that was posted on our Facebook page yesterday showed an insensitive disregard for the current challenges our Hispanic population faces."

"At Royall, we take great pride in our long-standing tradition of embracing and supporting every student who walks through the doors of our building," the post continued. "Our staff is unanimously committed to celebrating the diversity of our families and ensuring that each and every student at Royall is successful, happy, and recognized for his or her unique culture and abilities. We apologize for our insensitivity but look forward to fostering relationships as we begin a new school year."

'I will not tolerate anything of this nature'

In a letter to parents, Florence One Schools Superintendent Dr. Richard O’Malley said, "Several employees are no longer employed by the district or have been placed on leave," WMBF reported.

“As superintendent, I will not tolerate anything of this nature in our school district,” O’Malley said in the letter, per the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-based TV station.

O'Malley also said the “inappropriate event” took place during the elementary school’s professional development day, before the first day of school.

"I want to assure the Royall Community that the school will continue to provide an exceptional education for all students, with the high expectations and excellence in student achievement that have always been provided by our staff at Royall," O'Malley said in the letter.

USA TODAY contacted Florence One and O'Malley on Monday but did not receive a response.