State AG warns about racist text messages from anonymous senders
Attorney General Letitia James (file photo)
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — New York Attorney General Letitia James is warning people about a trend of racist text messages that are going out to Black and Hispanic people across the nation.
It happened to a 14-year-old girl in the Rochester area and her grandparent reached out to News10NBC. The messages are going to college, high school, and even middle school students. Students at Rochester Institute of Technology report that they have been targeted.
The messages are coming from come from anonymous senders, saying things like “you’ve been selected to pick cotton at your nearest plantation,” or “you have been chosen to be a slave.”
The attorney general is encouraging New Yorkers to report these text messages. You can call 800-771-7755, or file a complaint online here. The FBI says it’s been in touch with the U.S. Department of Justice and the FCC says it’s investigating the text messages “alongside federal and state law enforcement.”