Michigan high school students receive racist texts targeting Black residents following election
FARMINGTON, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Disturbing and threatening text messages referencing slavery have been sent to Black Americans in multiple states across the country.
The racist messages were sent out this week and called for Black Americans to return to slavery. People in at least 17 states received these messages, including high school students in Metro Detroit.
At least five Farmington Public School students were subjected to a version of these unsolicited, targeted messages.
The district is responding by telling parents, "We are working to connect with the students impacted by this event and provide support. It is important to state that these types of racist comments do not reflect our school community nor our District values. This type of behavior is not tolerated here."
Lake Orion Community Schools is also standing up for their students who received these messages saying, "Our district prides itself on its diverse, inclusive community where all students and staff feel they are a part of the Dragon Thunder. We strongly condemn any racially motivated language and refuse to allow it within our community."
The students are among the latest to be targeted by these messages based on the color of their skin as others across the country share their reactions.
"It just really shows, we thought we came far from where we were hundreds of years ago, but we obviously have not at all, clearly," said Talaya Jones, who received one of the racist text messages.
Cybersecurity expert David Derigiotis says it's not difficult for whoever is behind this to obtain lists broken down by phone number and demographics, including race. He says these texts are harder to trace because they are likely coming from a third-party text service, not personal devices.
"My opinion is that it is tied back to some kind of list that was accumulated by some people — some person — we don't even know who's behind it right now. But we know simply that they're cowards. They're hateful," Derigiotis said.
