The results of the recent presidential election affects everyone, but how does it directly affect the students at HHS? Recent days after the election, students from West Middle School were said to have received anonymous text messages in correlation to the outcome of the election. The racist messages that referenced slavery and plantations were targeted at African American students.
This resulted in an email being sent to the families of scholars in the district. Principal Crystal Ballard talked in the email specifically about how these texts upset the students after a stressful and emotional 2024 election.
“We had been notified that the FBI had already been investigating this case because it was a nationwide issue,” said Rachel Meehan, a member of the Minnetonka Police Department.
Shortly after the incident, the story was brought to national platforms like NBC News and Courier Newsroom, as well as popular social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter.
These articles quoted Ballard’s words; “Let us be clear: Messages like these have no place in Hopkins Schools,” she said.
The results of this email proceeded to make national news due to the emotions that arose. Many students throughout the district were frustrated and in disbelief that this incident happened in our community.
“To see this being recognized in our school district, it made me realize how supportive the community at Hopkins is, despite how discouraging and saddening this event has been,” said former West Junior High student; Eva Alciati, 12.
Along with the HHS segment in these articles, the media talked about other messages people have been receiving throughout the US due to the election results. These messages stated misogynistic comments like “your body, my choice.”
In recent conversations about these comments Ballard states that “we have not yet received specific reports in our schools.”
Throughout the years, certain national events have affected members of our community. It is clear that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our Hopkins community.