Crime, Law and Justice

Minnesota students receive racist, sexist text messages

Several Twin Cities school districts say some students have received anonymous racist and sexist text messages.

In an email to families, Hopkins Superintendent Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed said Black students at a middle school got texts that referenced slavery and plantations.

She said a cyber security expert determined that the sender did not obtain the students’ personal information from the district. Hopkins does not keep records of students’ personal electronic devices.

St. Paul and St. Louis Park public school districts also said some of their students also got the racist messages.

Some students in St. Louis Park got texts saying, “your body, my choice,” targeted at women and girls.

People across the country began receiving the texts on Wednesday. Some name the recipients, and most appear to have been sent from their local area codes.

Civil rights groups are encouraging recipients to report the texts to police and the FBI.