Orlando student received racist text similar to those probed by FBI, mom says

Cristóbal Reyes, Orlando Sentinel on Nov 11, 2024

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ORLANDO, Fla. — The parent of an Orlando student said her daughter received an anonymous text message instructing her “to pick cotton at the nearest plantation,” similar to racist messages that are under federal investigation in nearly two dozen U.S. states.

The message was sent Wednesday evening from a number using a 407 area code, telling the seventh grader at Howard Middle School, who is Black, to “Be ready at 1:00pm SHARP with your belongings,” according to a screenshot shared with the Orlando Sentinel.

“Our Executive Slaves will come get you in a Brown Van, be prepared to be searched down once you’ve enter (sic) the plantation. You are in Plantation ‘group B.’ Good day,” the message read.

Kim Keller, the child’s mother, told the Sentinel she learned of the message after speaking with her daughter following news reports of similar messages being sent to Black people around the country. The messages following Tuesday’s election are currently being investigated by the FBI, the Federal Communications Commission and attorneys general in at least 32 states, according to CBS News.

On Monday, Keller said she reported the messages to a school resource officer employed by the Orlando Police Department, who told her it would be passed along to the FBI. She called on others who may have gotten the messages to do the same.

“I’m one person. I’m one mom whose kid got this,” Keller said. “I know from watching the news that the FBI and local enforcement agencies are investigating throughout the country, and I want to make sure Florida’s doing the same thing.”

Spokespersons for OPD and the FBI field office in Tampa did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment. An Orange County Public Schools spokesperson said the district and school administration had not received reports of text messages sent to students as of 9:30 a.m. Monday. The district did not respond to a later request for an update.

But the issue caught the attention of Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani, whose House district in Orlando covers Howard Middle School, after constituents reached out to her regarding texts received by two different families, one of which was Keller’s. Eskamani posted a cropped version of the screenshots on her social media pages Sunday, and called on others who may have received the messages to report them to law enforcement.

“It’s really important for people to know this is not appropriate — it’s hateful and wrong,” Eskamani said. “I encourage people who got this or something like it to report it. Even if you’re not sure it’s inappropriate, report it; we can’t let this kind of rhetoric go unchecked.”

The second text shared with Eskamani specifically invoked President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory.

“Greetings since trump has won this election some laws have been changed,” it began, then continued similarly to the text sent to Keller’s daughter, including the plantation rhetoric.

Texts targeting Black people were also reported in Florida cities including Ft. Lauderdale and Jacksonville, according to news reports.

It’s not clear exactly how many texts have been reported to federal authorities and no information has been made public about who might be behind them, but the FBI said in a statement Thursday it “is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter.” The Florida Attorney General’s office did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson issued a rebuke of the texts and Trump late last week, tying him to “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.”

Keller said she will continue to fight on her daughter’s behalf.

“All I can do is educate her and show her that I’m an advocate for her, and that when things like this happen I will fight back for her and I will make sure that the people that can protect her get involved,” Keller said. “That’s all I can do at this point.”

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(Staff writer Steven Walker contributed to this report.)

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