STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State University is investigating reported racist messages and social media comments posted by "anonymous bad actors" intended to "frighten and emotionally alarm students of color," university officials said in a statement.
WFAA received screenshots of racist messages published to social media platforms and asked Tarleton State University to comment on the alleged incidents. In response, the university confirmed it is investigating the incidents and "has taken immediate action for the safety, well-being and support of our students," Sherri Benn, vice president for global, community and First-Gen initiatives, said in a statement.
Several Tarleton State student groups, including the Gay Straight Alliance and the Organization of Latinx-American Students, have also posted statements to social media in response to the "racist or hateful" behavior directed at students of color.
Screenshots of anonymous posts provided to WFAA referenced Trump winning the presidential race and called for "coloreds" to be removed from campus.
"We made America great again!! Let's make PWIs, PWIs again!! USA 2024," one anonymous post reads. PWI is short for predominantly white institutions.
About 34% of Tarleton State University students enrolled in the university this fall identified as non-white or Hispanic, according to data from the university. About 7% of students identified as Black, data shows.
It's unclear exactly what platform the racist posts are being published on, but they are not official university platforms. In a statement, James Hurley, president of the university, said he is saddened by reports "here and from around the country of demeaning anonymous text messages and comments."
"Hurtful words and actions that do not represent our core values of excellence, integrity and respect will not be tolerated at Tarleton State," said in a statement to WFAA. "This has absolutely no place on our campus or anywhere else. Our leadership team acted immediately to initiate an investigation. We have met with impacted students face-to-face and are committed to ensuring that every student feels safe, included and supported."
A screenshot sent to WFAA depicted a racist scam text sent across the country, including North Texas. Federal authorities are investigating the texts.
"We have been in communication with our community, students and their families to keep them informed of our actions — which includes a full investigation — to combat external messages intended to frighten and emotionally alarm students of color," Benn said. "We will continue supporting targeted students at our university. We refuse to let these anonymous bad actors cause distrust and suspicion or allow them to divide our community.”
Student organizations at Tarleton State posted messages of support Saturday for students of color on Instagram.
"We are very aware that our university has historically had issues with racist comments actions and attitudes that continue to impact marginalized students... We expect the Tarleton community to uphold the Tarleton values and have respect and empathy for the students who are suffering the consequences of racist and hateful actions," the Gay Straight Alliance said in a statement.
Gamma Kappa Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. at Tarleton State University also posted a statement in response to the incidents on Instagram writing, "We call on the university administration to take meaningful action to address and prevent further displays of bigotry on campus..
As of Nov. 11, the post appears to have been deleted from the fraternity's page.
"To be clear, we will not tolerate any racist or hateful behavior directed toward our students of color," the Organization of Latinx-American Students said in a statement. "We will not stand by as racism or discrimination is normalized."
