WESTMINSTER, Md. – A Maryland school district last week forced teachers to remove anti-Trump posters from their classrooms, sparking students and alumni to campaign against the decision to separate politics from academics.

The “We the People” posters depict Latina, Muslim and black women “in the same red, white and blue schematic of the ‘Hope’ election posters for Barack Obama,” the Carroll County Times reports.

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The poster’s designer, Shepard Fairey, told the Los Angeles Times they’re “a pointed reference to people who have felt attacked by President-elect Donald Trump.”

Carroll County Public Schools contend the posters were put up by a few anti-Trump teachers, and they violate district policy prohibiting educators from politicking during school time.

“Teachers are obviously to remain neutral,” assistant superintendent Stephen Johnson told the Times.

District spokeswoman Carey Gaddis said teachers are permitted to display political posters in their classrooms “if it’s part of the curriculum,” but added that teachers must present both sides with no preference for one or the other.

Regardless, many students and alumni don’t seem to understand that distinction, and they protesting the district’s efforts to maintain a politically neutral learning environment.

“I feel like taking down the posters sent a negative message,” Westminster High junior Jeffrey Wack told the Times.

Several insisted to WJZ the posters have no political connotations.

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“That wasn’t the intent at all, to be political or partisan in any way,” said junior Madi Macera.

“There’s nothing partisan about it,” said Westminster junior Ryan Novotny. “It’s not being anti-Trump. Some students are very upset about this and I believe they have every right to be.”

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The situation is also causing animosity and confusion among students.

“I can feel the tension between the different people and their different views,” senior Hamial Waince said.

“It’s like, ‘What’s going on? Why is this happening?” senior Rubie Avery added.

In the days since teachers were asked to remove the political posters, Wack and his sister, 2012 Westminster grad Sarah Wack, launched a GoFundMe campaign to take the protest to another level.

The siblings, children of Westminster Councilman Robert Wack, so far raised more than $5,000 to print t-shirts with the poster images for a massive student protest on March 1.

The students are selling the “Defend Dignity Tee” through the Obey clothing company for $25 each.

“They wanted to get shirts printed with one of the banned images but didn’t know how to go about doing it. I made the GoFundMe to connect them with a larger network of alumni and community members who have the resources to make their ideas a reality,” Sarah Wack said. “In the end, this is a student movement. If I were a high school student I would be right there with them, so as an alumna I’m happy to do my part by helping to fund their plans and provide whatever assistance I can.”

District officials, meanwhile, plan to consult attorneys about the posters and discuss the incident, as well as other diversity issues, at upcoming board meetings and work sessions.

“We’re going to take this opportunity to talk about diversity and more diversity in our work force,” superintendent Stephen Guthrie told WJZ.

“We don’t really have any guidelines in Carroll County in terms of what can be displayed, other than the classroom can’t be a forum for politics,” he said.