The Roosevelt School District is investigating three middle school teachers who appeared in a collage that featured a picture of two nooses labeled "back to school necklaces."

Many parents were outraged by the photo and called it racist.

"This is ridiculous," says Stanley Mathuril, of Roosevelt. "This is not sending a good message to the students and to the public."

MORE: Parents outraged by noose photo displayed in middle school classroom

But some seventh- and eighth-graders didn't appear as upset about it. They say the three teachers in the collage are not racist and simply used poor judgment.

Students say the picture was part of a larger collage of photos with quotes and inside jokes between the three teachers. But it was no joke to Pastor Arthur Mackey, of Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Roosevelt.

"We cannot allow them to teach any longer in the classroom," Mackey says.

Members of the Roosevelt Chamber of Commerce say the image either spreads a message of suicide or racism to children.

The school says it has zero tolerance for racism but was unable to comment further, calling it a personnel matter.

Newsday reports that the three teachers have been placed on paid administrative leave.