November 7, 2024
Dear Parents and Staff Members of Nyack Public Schools,
We were made aware this morning of explicitly racist text messages that were sent to some of our students, consistent in wording with social media messaging and that have appeared in several states following Election Day results. These text messages were sent specifically to Black and Brown students from our middle and high school. While there are slight variations in the wording, these texts are horrific and explicitly racist, specifically threatening “to make students slaves, take them to plantations
to pick cotton or that they will be deported to Africa.” We want to reiterate that these messages are not from our community and have been active in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Virginia among students in K-12 schools as well as colleges. Adults have also received the texts.
We are working with the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department and local law enforcement who have enacted an investigation. We have reached out to local law enforcement, Rockland County elected officials who represent our school community, Rockland BOCES who have activated communications with superintendents county-wide, and the NAACP of Nyack to help create a strong and cohesive response. We know we must work together to respond to hatred and uplift our students. Our
Administrators and School Counselors are ready to wrap support around our students who are hurting and feeling threatened.
In such a time as this, we ask our school community to continue in partnership with us as we remain vigilant in our commitment to keeping our children safe with a sense of belonging and value that is their right. Please talk with your children about the insidious nature of hate and racist messaging. We encourage you to speak directly against racist content that is targeting children of color in our community. We ask you to check your child’s phone and be in communication with us if you find
information or messaging of concern.
In Nyack Public Schools, we reaffirm without equivocation our responsibility to confront both individual acts of racism, hatred and systemic racism as it occurs within our own community and across our nation. Our School Board of Education, Administration and Leadership Team stand resolutely against all acts of racism and in solidarity with Black and Brown students, administrators, faculty, staff and families in our community. We urge each and every one of you in this beloved community to
reaffirm one another in the work that we do with children, families and each other, each day.
In the coming days, we pledge to be more bold, brave and racially literate in our work towards becoming a stronger multicultural, antiracist, equity-driven school community. As we continue our work inside and outside the classroom, let us stay in communication with each other.
Yours in Education,
Lizzette Ruiz-Giovinazzi, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent of Schools
