The situation regarding the racist text messages targeting Black students and others across the U.S., including Nevada, remains unresolved as the Nevada Attorney General’s office continues to withhold investigative updates. Despite multiple requests from the Las Vegas Review-Journal for records related to the messages, the office has denied access, citing the ongoing nature of the criminal investigation and the potential jeopardy to law enforcement information.
This lack of transparency has raised concerns, as there is no specific legal exemption in Nevada that permits withholding public records simply due to their relevance to an ongoing investigation. The Review-Journal’s Chief Legal Officer, Benjamin Lipman, argues that the public has a right to access communications that have already been widely reported.
The messages in question have been described as vile and racist, with some referencing enslavement. Specific examples reported by the media include messages sent to individuals, including one to a New Jersey resident telling her she was chosen to “pick cotton” at a plantation.
The investigation has broadened, involving federal agencies like the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission, after similar messages started targeting high school students and members of Hispanic and LGBTQIA+ communities. These messages included threats of deportation and references to re-education camps.
Despite these developments, both the Nevada Attorney General’s office and the FBI have been reticent to provide further details, leaving the public in the dark about the progress and findings of the investigation.
