WICHITA, Kansas — Officials with the Derby school district near Wichita say they have identified a student responsible for sending racist text messages to some classmates, which appears to be part of a nationwide campaign targeting Black students and adults.
In an email to Derby families, district leaders said “targeted hateful and racist messages” had been reported to a school resource officer at Derby High School, “who was able to identify and meet with the individual sending those messages.”
The email said the actions are “being addressed” but that “student matters are confidential.”
Gretchen Pontious, principal of Derby High School, said one student was identified as the person who sent the texts. She did not disclose the punishment because of student privacy laws.
“We need all of our students to feel safe and supported at school. We want them to feel that way," Pontious said. "So when things like this occur, we definitely take quick action.”
The principal also encouraged students, families and community members to report any similar incidents to school administration or law enforcement.
“Targeted, hateful messages don’t have a place in our community or our school, and we don’t tolerate that," she said. "We need our students to know that we support them.”
The message received by at least five Derby students is similar to a wave of racist texts showing up on phones across the United States after Tuesday’s election.
The text said, “You have been selected to be a slave at Derby High School,” and included the address of the school. It told the recipient to report at a certain time and “be prepared to be searched before entering the Plantation.”
The FBI said in a statement Thursday that it was “aware of the offensive and racist text messages” and that it was coordinating with the Justice Department and other federal authorities.
Derby, a district of about 7,300 students just south of Wichita, has been embroiled in several debates over racism and diversity.
In 2022, some Derby school board members requested an apology from a high school principal who showed a video about white privilege during an employee meeting. That principal later left the district.
Some board members also raised concerns about a textbook publisher for supporting Black Lives Matter and other anti-racism efforts. And the board rejected a proposed strategic plan for the district because it called for diversity and a focus on students’ mental health.
Decades ago, Derby was at the center of a landmark court case involving racist imagery. A middle school student was suspended for drawing a Confederate flag in math class, and his parents sued the district, claiming a violation of his First Amendment rights.
A federal district court rejected the family’s claims, ruling that schools have a “legitimate interest … to prevent potentially disruptive student conduct from interfering with the educational process.”
A spokeswoman with Wichita public schools, the state’s largest district, said the district is not aware of any similar texts being received by Wichita students. It’s unclear how many Kansas students or adults may have been targeted in the text message campaign.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups, is trying to track down the origins of the texts.
“The text sent to young Black people … is a public spectacle of hatred and racism that makes a mockery of our civil rights history,” Margaret Huang, the group’s president, said in a statement posted Thursday.
“Leaders at all levels must condemn anti-Black racism, in any form, whenever we see it – and we must follow our words with actions that advance racial justice and build an inclusive democracy where every person feels safe and welcome in their community.”
Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.
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