HOPKINS, Minn. — School officials in the western Twin Cities say black students received racist text messages this week a recent national trend which officials attributed to Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election.
Hopkins Public Schools Superintendent Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed said the lyrics refer to “slavery and plantations” and come from an “unidentified source.” The text messages were sent to high school students in the area and police were notified.
“While Hopkins Public School is nonpartisan, we recognize that the outcome of the election has given rise to and will continue to give rise to instances of racism, homophobia and sexism in school communities across the country and state, including here at Hopkins,” said Mhiripiri- Reed.
CBS News reports that at least 17 variants of the text were sent via phone numbers with area codes covering at least 25 states and Washington DC. Texts have been received by people in at least 17 states, including Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, PennsylvaniaSouth Carolina, Ohio, New York and Massachusetts.
At least eight other schools and colleges have reported that students received racist text messages.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson said the messages represent an “alarming increase in vile and disgusting rhetoric.”
There are nearly 7,000 students in Hopkins Public Schools, and nearly a quarter of them are black, according to district data.
“Let’s be clear: These types of messages have no place in Hopkins schools,” Mhiripiri-Reed said. “We stand firm in the court’s commitment to making our schools a safe, inclusive environment for all students, staff and families.
The superintendent encouraged families to report such text messages to the district and police.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is also “strongly” encouraging residents who received the text messages to file a complaint on his office’s website.
“The text messages shared with my office are disturbing, threatening and have no place in our society,” Ellison said. “My mission is to ensure that every Minnesotan can live in dignity, safety and respect, and I will not tolerate harassment and hatred in any way.
The FBI is investigating.
