Niraj Warikoo

Detroit Free Press

Rochester Hills school officials said Friday that a "Bad Hombres" flier seen at Rochester Adams High School was unacceptable and will be investigated.

The flyer appeared after the Nov. 8 election as part of an annual canned food drive. Posted on a wall, the flyer says: "Donate your cans to The Bad Hombres" and "If you give us your cans, WE will build a wall." It also listed two room numbers above which were photos of two people dressed in sombreros and what appears to be Mexican clothing.

During the campaign, Donald Trump, now the president-elect, often called to build a wall along the border with Mexico, talked negatively about Mexican immigrants, and during a debate with Clinton said he wanted to remove "bad hombres" from the U.S.

►Related:Reported bias incidents in Michigan soared since election

The flyer concerned some parents, who reported it to Welcoming Michigan, an advocacy group that encourages tolerance. On Friday, the director of community relations for Rochester Community Schools, Lori Grein, said the flyer was "unacceptable" and released two letters that the school's principal and the district superintendent sent to parents condemning the flyer.

School officials didn't say who posted the flyer, but said they would investigate and hold whoever was responsible accountable.

In a letter sent to parents, the principal of Rochester Adams High School, Kevin Cumming, wrote: "Offensive flyers promoting our annual canned food drive were posted in the building. These flyers were not representative of the values of our Adams community. As soon as we learned about the flyers, they were removed. Please be assured that we are thoroughly investigating the incident."

Rochester Community Schools has what it calls a Respect Code that says students have a right to a safe learning environment free from discrimination.

"To reinforce these values and beliefs among staff and students alike, every Adams teacher reviewed the Respect Code this morning with their students," Cumming wrote in the Nov. 11 letter.

The superintendent of Rochester Community Schools, Robert Shaner, also wrote a letter to parents, saying that "the disrespectful behavior of a few individuals has made members of our school community feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. I want to assure you that these incidents will be thoroughly investigated and those responsible will be held accountable for their actions."

Reported bias incidents have spiked in the month since the Nov. 8 election, say state officials and advocacy groups. At Royal Oak Middle School, some white students chanted "build the wall" at Latino students. In Troy at a Panera restaurant, a Latino immigrant was harassed by someone making a Trump reference. in Koylton Township in the Thumb area, a wall of boxes with the words "Mexicans suck" and "Trump" and "Take Back America" was placed outside the home of a family with a Latino member, reported MLive.

According to the state Department of Civil Rights, there were 65 reported bias incidents in the month after the election. In a normal month, there is on average just one such report. The Southern Poverty Law Center said Michigan had the highest number of hate incidents in the 10 days after the election among states in the Midwest, and sixth highest in the U.S.

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or 313-223-4792. Follow him on Twitter @nwarikoo