Authorities are investigating a series of racist text messages that were sent to Black and Hispanic students in the Los Angeles Unified School District, part of a much larger trend occurring across the country.
“We are aware of racist and incendiary texts that are being sent nationwide, including to some of our students,” said LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho in a statement released over the weekend. “We unequivocally condemn this hateful and threatening rhetoric. We are investigating this situation. If you receive one of these messages, students and families should contact their school for support.”
While the source of the messages remains unclear, reports began surfacing on Wednesday afternoon. LAUSD was one of many school districts across the nation where students began to receive similar messages, which make references to slavery and picking cotton. As of Sunday, students in at least 32 states reported being targeted by the texts.
Because of the widespread nature of the messages, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched their own probe on the matter.