NAACP criticizes ‘minimal follow up’ from FBI
The FBI will not comment on the status of its investigation into racist texts reportedly sent across the country soon after the 2024 presidential election.
“The FBI’s policy is to neither confirm nor deny if we are conducting an investigation,” a media representative told The College Fix via email.
The law enforcement agency said it has “no further information” and referenced their public statement released in November immediately following the messages.
“The FBI is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter,” the original statement read. “As always, we encourage members of the public to report threats of physical violence to local law enforcement authorities.”
Soon after President Donald Trump’s election last November, Americans, including high school and college students, reported they had received texts targeting them on the basis of their race. Black Americans reportedly received texts saying they needed to go pick cotton, while Hispanic students reportedly were told they would be deported.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was quick to blame it on Trump.
“These messages represent an alarming increase in vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist groups across the country, who now feel emboldened to spread hate and stoke the flames of fear that many of us are feeling after Tuesday’s election results,” NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson said at the time. “The threat … perpetuates a legacy of evil that dates back to before the Jim Crow era,” Johnson said.
Derrick Lewis, the NAACP’s youth and college director, told The Fix via a media statement the group is still waiting for answers.
“We’ve continued to hear from student leaders who remain deeply concerned. Some report similar harassment and share a growing frustration feeling this was swept under the rug with no action,” Lewis told The Fix. “While federal authorities initially acknowledged the issue, there has been minimal follow up communication.”
“Students are calling for greater transparency, support, and a sense of protection from both federal and campus law enforcement,” he told The Fix.
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Lewis said the NAACP hoped to receive information on the details of the investigation, including who is responsible, how they carried out the attack, and what platforms were utilized in the attack.
He said the NAACP wants to see greater efforts from federal law enforcement to protect students. “It’s also critical to hear how they plan to prevent future incidents and keep students safe,” he said. “Transparency helps rebuild trust, especially when communities feel targeted and vulnerable.”
Other law enforcement agencies did not provide comment on their investigations.
Ohio’s attorney general announced an “inquiry” into the text messages in Nov. 2024, as reported by the Dayton Daily News.
“Other people have no First Amendment right to your phone and free speech doesn’t protect telephone harassment,” Attorney General Dave Yost said at the time.
However, his office has not responded to an email and voice mail left in the past month asking for a status update.
Lewis, with the NAACP, called for action to prevent future attacks, saying that more than the accountability of the justice system is necessary.
“Justice means protecting people and preventing recurrence,” he said. “Not just punishment, but change.”
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IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel speak at a press conference; FBI.gov