Lower Merion and Upper Darby students received racist text messages, similar to others sent nationwide
Lower Merion said messages received by middle schoolers were "nearly identical" to those in other states, where some reported texts that said they had been selected to pick cotton on a plantation.
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The Lower Merion and Upper Darby school districts said some of their students received racist text messages Thursday — mirroring reports of messages sent to people in other states.
In Lower Merion, Acting Superintendent Megan Shafer said in a message to families Thursday that the district was aware of about six middle school students who reported receiving racist text messages. The texts were “almost identical” to those reported in other states, Shafer said.
Shafer’s message linked to news reports about women in the Detroit area who received texts on Wednesday saying they had been “selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation,” and that a van or bus would be arriving to pick up them and their belongings.
The same messages were reportedly received by people in Georgia and Virginia, as well as Black students on college campuses, including at the University of Alabama.
“The racist nature of these text messages is extremely disturbing, made even more so by the fact that children have been targeted,” Shafer said. “While the source of these messages has not been determined, we want to unequivocally state that racist language is unacceptable in our schools and will not be tolerated.”
She said the district had reported the messages to Lower Merion Township police for investigation, and told families that if their student had received one of the messages, they should reach out to their principal or guidance counselor “so that we can provide whatever is needed to help them feel safe in our schools.”
The principal of Upper Darby High School, Craig Parkinson, said in a message to families Thursday that the district had “become aware of a racist and derogatory text message that has been sent to some of our high school students.”
Parkinson said the district, which also reported the messages to police, “does not tolerate hateful and racist behavior” and would discipline any students involved.
“At this time, however, we believe the text message students are receiving is from a source outside of our school district and other states are reporting that their students have also received this text message,” Parkinson said. A district spokesperson did not say whether the messages were the same as the texts referring to plantations being reported nationally.