Racist text messages sent to Black students in Maryland, other states condemned by AG as "horrific, unacceptable"

BALTIMORE - Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is calling racist text messages targeting Black residents in Maryland and several other states "horrific" and "unacceptable."

"It is frightening. It is intimidating. I can only imagine. We know at least in one case a 13-year-old girl received this," said Brown.   

Brown says his office has received multiple reports of those text messages being sent to Black Maryland residents, including school-aged children, in a nationwide campaign and is urging those who have received the text messages to report them.

"These messages are horrific, unacceptable, and will not be tolerated," Attorney General Brown said. "If you have been sent one of these texts, I am asking for you to please come forward and report it. I am committed to protecting the rights of all Marylanders."  

"Many of these text messages are very particularized," Brown explained. "I mean they mention recipients by name, they include content that suggests that they know who the intended recipient is."

Local schools report students receiving texts

Harford County Public and Anne Arundel County Schools are some of the latest to learn of the messages.

Harford County Public Schools confirmed to WJZ on Friday, that at least 5 students have shared with school staff that they have been targeted and victimized by the messages.

In a statement to WJZ, Superintendent Dr. Sean Bulson wrote:

"Harford County Public Schools is committed to safety, respect, and inclusion for all students. We are deeply concerned by the recent racist messages circulating online, and we unequivocally condemn this type of hate speech.

We urge anyone impacted by these incidents to reach out to law enforcement immediately, as well as to school counselors or trusted staff members who are here to provide additional support. Together with our partners in law enforcement, we are committed to ensuring our students have a safe space in our schools and know that school staff are here to support them."

Shortly after,  Anne Arundel County School's superintendent Mark Bedell Ed.D addressed the community in a letter:

"Without knowing or making any assumptions about the senders' true intent, this much remains clear," wrote Mark Bedell Ed.D. "The timing of the messages, in the wake of a close presidential election that has stirred anxiety across the nation for months, only adds to the trepidation and fear experienced by young people whose phones are suddenly and unwantedly littered with these messages."

"This is far more than a school issue. We ask families to partner with us in taking a definitive stance against all forms of hatred and harassment and to speak to students in a way that conveys that you do not condone or accept this behavior."

Circulating the country

The texts were received by people in states including Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio, CBS News reports.

The FBI said in a statement to CBS News that it was aware of "the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country" and said it is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities.  

Some of the messages, which had almost identical language, told the recipient they had been "selected for cotton picking," according to CBS News.

Maryland's Office of Attorney General said several reports they've received tell recipients to "board a bus to be transported to a plantation to work as a slave." 

"These messages appear to be part of a nationwide campaign and are horrific and unacceptable," Brown said. "There is no home for hate in Maryland."   

How to report the messages

If you receive(d) one of those text messages, you can either:

• File a complaint with the Maryland Attorney General's Civil Rights Division here 
• Or file a complaint to the Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention here