LOS ANGELES – Elected leaders representing the Westside communities of Los Angeles issued a joint statement today strongly condemning a racist text message sent to Black and Latino students in the wake of the 2024 presidential election. The statement is signed by State Senator Ben Allen, Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, City Councilmembers Traci Park and Katy Yaroslavsky, SMMUSD Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton, and LAUSD School District Board Member Nick Melvoin.

“This awful text message recently sent out shook our community during a time of needed unity. This act of racism is simply unacceptable; those responsible must be held accountable for the threat they placed on local students and their families. Every person within our community deserves to be safe and respected, so we encourage local and federal law enforcement efforts to provide justice. We also look forward to working with local school districts to restore the sense of safety many families are looking for right now.”