Nyack School District Children Targeted With Racist Text Messages

NYACK, NY — School officials in Nyack say that there is no place for the hate targeting minority students in the wake of Election Day.

In a letter to families, Superintendent Lizzette Ruiz-Giovinazzi said that law enforcement is investigating the ugly text messages sent to Nyack students.

"We were made aware this morning of explicitly racist text messages that were sent to some of our students, consistent in wording with social media messaging and that have appeared in several states following Election Day results," Ruiz-Giovinazzi wrote. "These text messages were sent specifically to Black and Brown students from our middle and high school. While there are slight variations in the wording, these texts are horrific and explicitly racist, specifically threatening 'to make students slaves, take them to plantations to pick cotton or that they will be deported to Africa.'"

Ruiz-Giovinazzi said the messages are not from the Nyack schools community. She said similar harassment campaigns have been reported in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, South Carolina and Virginia. The racist texts have been sent to both elementary and high school students schools. University students and other adults have also been targeted.

"We are working with the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department and local law enforcement who have enacted an investigation," Ruiz-Giovinazzi said "We have reached out to local law enforcement, Rockland County elected officials who represent our school community, Rockland BOCES who have activated communications with superintendents county-wide, and the NAACP of Nyack to help create a strong and cohesive response. We know we must work together to respond to hatred and uplift our students. Our Administrators and School Counselors are ready to wrap support around our students who are hurting and feeling threatened."

New York Attorney General Letitia James today released a statement condemning the targeted harassment of minority students.

"The racist text messages targeting New Yorkers, including middle school, high school, and college students, are disgusting and unacceptable," James said. "I unequivocally condemn any attempt to intimidate or threaten New Yorkers and their families. I encourage anyone in New York who has received an anonymous, threatening text message to report it to my office.”

Federal law enforcement is also investigating the harassing messages.

"The FBI is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter," the FBI said in a statement released on Thursday. "As always, we encourage members of the public to report threats of physical violence to local law enforcement authorities."

School officials said the best way to confront hate is through unity.

"In the coming days, we pledge to be more bold, brave and racially literate in our work towards
becoming a stronger multicultural, antiracist, equity-driven school community," the superintendent said. "As we continue our work inside and outside the classroom, let us stay in communication with each other."

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is encouraging anyone who has received a message like these to report it to the New York Attorney General's Civil Rights Bureau by calling 800-771-7755, emailing civil.rights@ag.ny.gov, or filing a complaint online.