Charlottesville Schools Close Over "Racially Charged" Threats Against Black, Minority Students

Source: NBC News

Public schools have been closed since Thursday.

All public schools in Charlottesville, Virginia, have been closed this week following an anonymous threat made on 4chan against black and minority students at Charlottesville High School.

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According to a report from NBC News, the message not only targeted black and minority students but warned white students to stay home. The schools have been closed since Thursday.

As the Richmond Times-Dispatch notes, the person who made the threat claimed to be a student at Charlottesville High School, and said that they wanted to "shoot dead non-white students in an act of 'ethnic cleansing.'"

"We heard clearly that you, too, want us to prioritize the safety of our students and staff," the Charlottesville City Schools posted on its Facebook page. "Based on extensive conversations with law enforcement, we have decided to remain closed on Friday."

"We would like to acknowledge and condemn the fact that this threat was racially charged,"the post continued. "We do not tolerate hate or racism. The entire staff and School Board stand in solidarity with our students of color — and with people who have been singled out for reasons such as religion or ethnicity or sexual identity in other vile threats made across the country or around the world."

As Reuters notes, African-Americans make up around 19 percent of Charlottesville's population of nearly 50,000 people.

The district also said that the Charlottesville Police Department is still working to determine the credibility of the threat. In a post from their own Facebook, the police department wrote that "This threat remains under investigation and we are urging anyone with information to call police."

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Source: NBC News