Central Ohio college students among recipients of mass racist texts
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Central Ohioans are among the Black Americans receiving racist text messages from anonymous sources across the nation.
The messages are being reported nationwide, and appear to be targeting Black Americans, especially college students. Ohio State and Columbus State students are among those targeted, according to an OSU representative and an email sent to Columbus State students acquired by NBC4.
The messages appear to all be variations of the same racist threats, and some include the recipients' names. According to NBC News, some of the anonymous numbers appear to be tied to TextNow, a messaging service that allows users to digitally adopt untraceable "burner" phone numbers. NBC News reported TextNow spokespeople confirmed the accounts that have been reported have been shut down.
The Ohio State representative said the messages have been reported to the Office of Institutional Equity and that the university is offering support services.
The email to Columbus State students said anyone affected by the messages is invited to reach out to campus support services. It also said Columbus State police engaged federal law enforcement and are in conversations with the campus FBI liaison as things develop.
Anyone who receives the racist messages is encouraged to report them to local law enforcement.