Six Eighth Graders Face Criminal Charges for ‘Racist’ Snapchat Group
Six eighth-grade students in Massachusetts have been criminally charged due to their involvement in a Snapchat group chat filled with “hateful and racist comments,” which included threats and an “imaginary slave auction.”
This incident, which took place between February 8 and 9, was quickly brought to the attention of school officials and subsequently the police, leading to an official investigation initiated by Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.
“The Massachusetts middle schoolers’ alleged interaction on Snapchat from Feb. 8 to Feb. 9 allegedly included numerous ‘hateful and racist comments, including notions of violence toward people of color, racial slurs, derogatory pictures and videos, and a mock slave auction directed at two juveniles known to them,’” Gulluni said at a press conference.
Following the investigation, all six students faced charges related to the threat to commit a crime, with two of the students receiving additional charges for interference with civil rights, and one among those two also charged with witness interference.
Gulluni defended his prosecution of the middle schoolers.
“With this I intend to be very clear: Hatred and racism have no place in this community, and where this behavior becomes criminal, I will ensure that we act — and act with swift resolve, as we did here — to uncover it and bring it to the light of justice,” Gulluni said.
The school district responded to the incident, with Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Willard condemning the actions in an email.
“[T]he District firmly believes that racism and discrimination have no place in our school community,” the email said.
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