UPenn Students, Staff Support Freshman Receiving Racist Texts
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - After black freshman students at the University of Pennsylvania were added to a chain of racist messages without their knowledge Friday, the student body and staff tried to show their support Friday night.
A number of students held signs showing support around campus, and tried to let affected students know they stood with them in unity.
But what was the reaction of one of the students who received the messages?
"It's sad that in this day that we're still dealing with racism in this type of way, and out of all places I didn't think my school would be the school to have to go through it."
Asking not to be identified, the student says she does feel it's related to the recent presidential election:
"I don't think it's like a coincidence that it just so happened now."
She says she normally feels pretty safe on campus, but plans to be cautious for a while:
"I think it's better to walk in groups. I mean on a college campus in general, but especially now."
The app, called GroupMe, works like a chat room, but sends posts as text messages to people who don't have it installed on their phones.
In a written statement, Penn President Amy Gutmann says it appears the person who added the students to the GroupMe account, which contained violent pictures of lynchings, appears to be based in Oklahoma.
Gutmann says school security is now trying to find the exact source, and block the account.