Backlash Grows After Middle School Principal in Maine Dresses as ICE Agent
Mt. Blue’s James Black wore a “POLICE ICE” vest, cap, face gaiter, and zip ties at a private party; immigrant advocates say the costume retraumatizes students and erodes trust.
In Maine, Mount Blue Middle School Principal James Black is facing a community backlash after photos circulated online showing him dressed as a ICE officer for Halloween — a stunt parents and advocates say retraumatizes immigrant families and shatters confidence in school leadership.
The viral images show Black in a tactical-style vest with a “POLICE ICE” patch, an “ICE” cap, a stars-and-stripes face gaiter and zip ties on his hip. A second photo shared online appears to show him in the same outfit holding an assault-style rifle. It remains unclear who first posted the images.
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The reaction was swift and furious. Residents from Franklin County and far beyond are demanding Black resign, flooding Regional School Unit 9 Superintendent Christian Elkington and school board members with calls and emails. Several said they will appear at the Nov. 18 board meeting if Black has not stepped down or if the district fails to act.
“This isn’t funny. It’s terrifying,” the immigrant-aid group Project Relief Maine wrote, arguing that deportation “isn’t a costume” and that students “deserve to feel safe at school, not mocked by the very people who are supposed to protect them.”
Parents say the episode isn’t about a private party — it’s about power, judgment and the message it sends to children who live with the fear of family separation. “There’s no good reason for a public school principal to normalize ICE terrorizing children and families,” one widely shared comment read. “I bet there are kids in his school who don’t think it’s funny that he’s dressing up as the people who are destroying their families.”
Emily Angela, a Franklin County resident who reposted the first photo after the original sharer deleted it amid threats, said her Reddit post drew roughly half a million views in less than a day and hundreds of comments condemning the costume as “absolutely terrible judgment.” She said she later made her Facebook post private after receiving racist harassment and death threats, but the outpouring of community support has outweighed the abuse.
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“Educators should be held to a high standard,” she said. “How would international students or students of color feel safe if that’s how their principal is dressing — and what he’s choosing to represent?”
Elkington acknowledged Monday that the district “received several communications from concerned staff and community members,” emphasizing the episode occurred off school grounds and was not tied to an RSU 9 activity. He said the district is handling the matter “consistent with our internal practices and procedures” and noted legal obligations to maintain employee confidentiality.
Black has not responded to requests for comment. In a video statement, his sisters said the costume was worn at a private family party and urged supporters to contact the school board on his behalf. “Regardless of your personal views, ICE is a federal agency just like DEA [or] FBI,” one sister said, arguing criticism has gone too far and citing their family’s diversity and Black’s community service.
For many families, the damage is already done. Parents say the photos have turned a supposed “joke” into a referendum on whether students — especially immigrant and Latino students — can trust that the person running their middle school understands the stakes of federal immigration enforcement in children’s lives.
“This episode didn’t happen in a vacuum,” another commenter wrote, pointing to how easily someone can impersonate federal officers. “I’m more concerned that the costume is so convincing. Literally anyone can say they are ICE.”
WHAT’S NEXT: The board meets Nov. 18. Between now and then, the district must decide whether it treats Black’s costume as a private lapse in judgment — or as a public breach of duty that demands accountability. Either way, the community’s verdict is already visible: trust, once broken, is not a costume you can take off.
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In this exact moment in time, ICE is akin to Nazi/Gestapo. They've made it clear they are targeting black and brown people, and their allies, without regard for actual law and order. Consider this Principal wore an SS uniform to the private Halloween party. It would be as unacceptable as wearing the ICE uniform, given today's political environment.
Let the Principal speak, explain himself, if he has the courage to, but this is definitely a "what the f*ck were you thinking" moment.
Also, to become a school Principal requires at least a master's degree, certification, licenses, years of experience as an educator, etc., So, again, what could he have been thinking, except that he has no qualms with how ICE is treating our neighbors and fellow Americans.
As a former teacher in South Florida and also North Florida, I don’t find it funny or appropriate at all, and I’m a white person that rarely lists my ethnicity and less no choice. I believe that’s the biggest problem. We are all people,. Period.