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The incidents occurred in Rockland County on Thursday, Nov. 7, at Nyack's middle and high schools.
"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,” said Nyack School District Intermin Superintendent Lizzette Ruiz-Giovinazzi.
Ruiz-Giovinazzi said in a message to the community that students in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Virginia are among students in K-12 schools and colleges who received the texts.
The Mid-Hudson/Westchester NAACP said it is working on the issue with the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department, the Clarkstown Police Department and the FBI.
The district added that Rockland County elected officials who represent the school community, Rockland BOCES, which has activated communications with superintendents county-wide, and the NAACP of Nyack have banded together to help create a strong and cohesive response.
"We know we must work together to respond to hatred and uplift our students," Ruiz-Giovinazzi said. "Our administrators and school counselors are ready to wrap support around our students who are hurting and feeling threatened."
Rockland County Executive Ed Day and Human Rights Commissioner Spencer Chiimbwe said on Friday, Nov. 8, they strongly condemn the racist text messages, which recall painful echoes of the nation’s history of oppression and injustice.
"We stand firmly against any words or actions that seek to divide or dehumanize," they said. "Now more than ever, we must unite to uphold the principles set forth in our Constitution, honoring the work of those who championed liberty and equality, and speak out against hatred in all its forms."
Wilbur T. Aldridge, director of the Mid-Hudson/Westchester NAACP said the organization finds the texts "a true act of racism."
"More despicable, they are targeting young people who are easily traumized and affected by these messages," Aldrige added. "We will pursue these individual and work for repercussions."
Aldrige said they had also discovered that Haitian students had received similar messages saying they should get ready to be deported.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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