Virginia Military Institute officials are investigating a 2004 barracks Halloween observance during which cadets dressed as Nazi soldiers, drag queens and a starving African.

Officials at the Lexington college were alerted to the behavior when someone referred them to an Internet message board on which four photographs of the costumed men are posted.

"We've been made aware of the possible involvement of a small number of VMI cadets in various insensitive and inappropriate photographic poses appearing on a Web site unaffiliated with VMI," spokesman Stewart MacInnis said. "VMI does not condone such behavior and this matter is being investigated accordingly. While recognizing cadets have rights as private citizens to express themselves, we are disappointed in their behavior and judgment."

MacInnis said officials are satisfied that the pictures posted at richmond.indymedia.org are from an October event in barracks during which cadets were permitted to dress in costume for the evening. The Web site is operated by the Richmond Independent Media Center and offers a forum for "promoting social and economic justice in the Richmond area," according to its mission statement.

One picture shows three men in their VMI-issued black shirts and gray pants giving the Nazi salute to the camera. Two are wearing homemade swastika armbands. One is wearing a small Hitler-style mustache.

Another picture shows two men dressed in tiaras, wings, lipstick and eye shadow. One is holding a wand, and both are wearing underpants and tank tops that read, "I [heart] a man in uniform."

There are also pictures of a man smeared head-to-toe in dark makeup and wearing a loin cloth, and a man with a bull's-eye drawn with tape on the rear of his pants.

Posted Thursday, the photos immediately generated a running online debate about their offensiveness. Some posters noted that they appeared weeks after England's Prince Harry was criticized by Jewish organizations for wearing a Nazi uniform to a recent costume party and that Thursday was the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.

Using the screen name "CBC," the person who posted the images said others should "condemn VMI's ability to laugh at the deaths of millions, make light of famine and race and mock homosexuality. These are, after all, the men who are supposed to one day graduate to their own posts at Gitmos [Guantanamo Bays] and Abu Ghraibs around the world."

A writer identified as "Sean," who said he is a VMI cadet, defended the costumes.

"We, the Corps of Cadets, were apalled [sic] at the Abu Ghraib incident, but seeing as how we're going to be in the midst of death and inhumanity and other such facts of life we need to be able to keep a sense of humor," he wrote.

"What's funny about the Nazis?" replied poster "James Spady."

A poster named "Joseph" advised others to "lighten up, anyone construing this as anything other than absurd and jovial is nothing short of anal retentive."

Even if they acted without malice, the cadets involved could still face disciplinary action.

MacInnis was unsure of what specific regulations VMI has regarding racial or ethnic sensitivity, but he noted that such behavior might also fit in the category of "conduct unbecoming a cadet."

New cadets receive instruction in sensitivity to matters of gender, race and the like, MacInnis said.

"VMI will continue to make strong efforts to educate the Corps in civility and respect for others," he said.