Racist Messages Target Black Students at U. of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is investigating what appears to be a cyberattack on its black students, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported.

The university said in a statement that black freshmen had been added to GroupMe accounts filled with racist images and messages, including an invitation to a lynching. The university said the accounts “appeared to be based in Oklahoma.” The police and information-security employees are working to pinpoint the location and to shut down the accounts.

“The account itself is totally repugnant: it contains violent, racist, and thoroughly disgusting images and messages,” the university said in the statement. “This is simply deplorable.”

GroupMe is a messaging application that allows users to create a private chat room for select members. Anyone can be added to a GroupMe message with a phone number.

“I was shocked that I was even added to the GroupMe in the first place, but seeing what was being said just hurt,” a student who was added to the accounts told The Daily Pennsylvanian.