November 15, 2024 - SACRAMENTO, CA— On Thursday, Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) released a statement condemning recent racist messages sent to students in the Santa Monica and other parts of Assembly District 51, calling these incidents a "deeply troubling violation of safety and dignity" for the affected students and families.

The full statement from Assemblymember Zbur reads as follows:

“My office has been closely monitoring the disturbing incidents in which Black and Latino students in my district and across the nation received vile, racist text messages. We have been in contact with the three school districts in my area, as well as local law enforcement and the FBI. I appreciate that both the school districts and law enforcement agencies are treating this situation with the seriousness it demands and have launched full investigations.

“I am deeply troubled by both the racist content and the potential personal security threats presented by these texts. I await developments from law enforcement as the investigations proceed, and it is my hope that the individual(s) responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and that we will learn how we can prevent additional hate incidents from taking place.

“My heart is with the young people and parents who are coping with these acts of hate, and I encourage anyone who receives such a message to report it to local law enforcement and the FBI (1-800-CALL-FBI).”

Assemblymember Zbur's office is committed to working with school officials and law enforcement to support students, parents, and educators impacted by these incidents and to ensure that California’s students are safe and protected from acts of hate.
Source: Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur