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| Racist Robocalls About Tessa Majors Are Made to Columbia Employees | Racist Robocalls About Tessa Majors Are Made to Columbia Employees |
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| The Columbia University community has been on edge for weeks since the killing of Tessa Majors, an 18-year-old Barnard College student, in a park near the schools’ shared Manhattan campus. | The Columbia University community has been on edge for weeks since the killing of Tessa Majors, an 18-year-old Barnard College student, in a park near the schools’ shared Manhattan campus. |
| Then, on Wednesday, came an unnerving development: A number of university employees received a robocall that used Ms. Majors’s death to promote a white supremacist ideology. | Then, on Wednesday, came an unnerving development: A number of university employees received a robocall that used Ms. Majors’s death to promote a white supremacist ideology. |
| In the blatantly racist recording, a man blames Ms. Majors’s death, which the police have said occurred during a park mugging, on race. | In the blatantly racist recording, a man blames Ms. Majors’s death, which the police have said occurred during a park mugging, on race. |
| The message ends with a male voice saying that it was paid for by the Road to Power, a white supremacist website that has been linked to similar racist and anti-Semitic phone calls in the past. | The message ends with a male voice saying that it was paid for by the Road to Power, a white supremacist website that has been linked to similar racist and anti-Semitic phone calls in the past. |
| Audio of the recording was obtained by The New York Times. Its authenticity was confirmed by two people who had heard it and a law enforcement official involved in the investigation. | Audio of the recording was obtained by The New York Times. Its authenticity was confirmed by two people who had heard it and a law enforcement official involved in the investigation. |
| The calls were made between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Christmas, according to the official. He said that it was unclear how many robocalls were placed, but that “numerous” messages went to people who worked at Barnard. | The calls were made between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Christmas, according to the official. He said that it was unclear how many robocalls were placed, but that “numerous” messages went to people who worked at Barnard. |
| The New York Police Department’s Racially and Ethnically Motivated Extremism unit was investigating the calls, a police spokeswoman said. | The New York Police Department’s Racially and Ethnically Motivated Extremism unit was investigating the calls, a police spokeswoman said. |
| Columbia and Barnard officials, who called the messages “abhorrent” and “violently racist,” said that the calls were placed to landlines at Barnard and Columbia, and that no students were believed to have received them. | Columbia and Barnard officials, who called the messages “abhorrent” and “violently racist,” said that the calls were placed to landlines at Barnard and Columbia, and that no students were believed to have received them. |
| “We condemn this racist, anti-black act in the strongest possible terms and have referred it to the N.Y.P.D.,” a Barnard spokeswoman said in a statement. “Our community stands together against hate.” | “We condemn this racist, anti-black act in the strongest possible terms and have referred it to the N.Y.P.D.,” a Barnard spokeswoman said in a statement. “Our community stands together against hate.” |
| Ms. Majors was walking in Morningside Park in Manhattan the night of Dec. 11 when, according to the police, at least three teenagers attempted to rob her. She struggled, and one of her attackers stabbed her multiple times with a knife, the police said. | Ms. Majors was walking in Morningside Park in Manhattan the night of Dec. 11 when, according to the police, at least three teenagers attempted to rob her. She struggled, and one of her attackers stabbed her multiple times with a knife, the police said. |
| The police have identified three people connected to the attack. One of them, a 13-year-old, was arrested and gave statements to the police implicating himself and two middle school classmates, both 14, in the crime. | The police have identified three people connected to the attack. One of them, a 13-year-old, was arrested and gave statements to the police implicating himself and two middle school classmates, both 14, in the crime. |
| While Ms. Majors was white and all three teenagers are black, the authorities have said that there was no racial aspect to the crime — a fact that was not mentioned in the robocall. | While Ms. Majors was white and all three teenagers are black, the authorities have said that there was no racial aspect to the crime — a fact that was not mentioned in the robocall. |
| For just under two minutes, the unidentified caller uses racist epithets and rants about Ms. Majors’s parents, criticizing them for allowing her to associate with people of other races. | For just under two minutes, the unidentified caller uses racist epithets and rants about Ms. Majors’s parents, criticizing them for allowing her to associate with people of other races. |
| “Remember to teach your children: ‘Around blacks, never relax,’” the message says. | “Remember to teach your children: ‘Around blacks, never relax,’” the message says. |
| The man does not identify himself other than mentioning the Road to Power, an outlet that posts racist videos and comments on social media sites that cater to right-wing extremists. It was labeled “a white supremacist and anti-Semitic broadcasting outlet” by the Anti-Defamation League, which monitors such groups. | The man does not identify himself other than mentioning the Road to Power, an outlet that posts racist videos and comments on social media sites that cater to right-wing extremists. It was labeled “a white supremacist and anti-Semitic broadcasting outlet” by the Anti-Defamation League, which monitors such groups. |
| According to Oren Segal, the director of the organization’s Center for Extremism, the Road to Power has been behind several similar robocalls attacking Jews, people of color and immigrants since 2017. | According to Oren Segal, the director of the organization’s Center for Extremism, the Road to Power has been behind several similar robocalls attacking Jews, people of color and immigrants since 2017. |
| The calls all attempted to exploit national news stories by targeting the communities where they occurred with what Mr. Segal called “vicious, vile, offensive commentary.” | The calls all attempted to exploit national news stories by targeting the communities where they occurred with what Mr. Segal called “vicious, vile, offensive commentary.” |
| In 2018, the Road to Power was linked to a call involving a racist portrayal of Andrew Gillum, the black Democrat who ran to be Florida’s governor, as well as another one that used a racist caricature of Oprah Winfrey and racist language to attack Stacey Abrams, a black Democrat who ran to be Georgia’s governor. | In 2018, the Road to Power was linked to a call involving a racist portrayal of Andrew Gillum, the black Democrat who ran to be Florida’s governor, as well as another one that used a racist caricature of Oprah Winfrey and racist language to attack Stacey Abrams, a black Democrat who ran to be Georgia’s governor. |
| Mr. Segal said the outlet is the work of one man, whom he identified as Scott D. Rhodes, a white supremacist in Idaho. | |
| “He promotes his hatred and division in the midst of these national news events and tragedies,” Mr. Segal said. | “He promotes his hatred and division in the midst of these national news events and tragedies,” Mr. Segal said. |
| Attempts to reach Mr. Rhodes were unsuccessful. | Attempts to reach Mr. Rhodes were unsuccessful. |
| The Southern Poverty Law Center has observed a recent increase in robocalls across the United States, calling them a “new, high-tech, computer-delivered brand of hate.” | The Southern Poverty Law Center has observed a recent increase in robocalls across the United States, calling them a “new, high-tech, computer-delivered brand of hate.” |
| Mr. Segal said that what makes robocalling an effective intimidation tactic is its ability to blanket a community in hate speech. | Mr. Segal said that what makes robocalling an effective intimidation tactic is its ability to blanket a community in hate speech. |
| “One man is able to present himself and his narrative as something that appears to be beyond any one person,” Mr. Segal said. | “One man is able to present himself and his narrative as something that appears to be beyond any one person,” Mr. Segal said. |
| John Miller, the deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism in the Police Department, said the calls to Barnard and Columbia staff members came from an “entity” known for similar robocall tactics in the past. | John Miller, the deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism in the Police Department, said the calls to Barnard and Columbia staff members came from an “entity” known for similar robocall tactics in the past. |
| The extremism unit, which became operational early this month, was built to combat the growing threat of attacks from far-right and neo-Nazi organizations. | The extremism unit, which became operational early this month, was built to combat the growing threat of attacks from far-right and neo-Nazi organizations. |
| Last week, the unit helped the Connecticut State Police with an investigation into a racist threat on Reddit made against the 13-year-old who was linked by the police to Ms. Majors’s death. | Last week, the unit helped the Connecticut State Police with an investigation into a racist threat on Reddit made against the 13-year-old who was linked by the police to Ms. Majors’s death. |
| “Time to exterminate the real problem,” a commenter on Reddit wrote, according to the warrant. He later added: “I’m going to search for him myself tonight. Armed and read to fire. Then the parents are next.” | “Time to exterminate the real problem,” a commenter on Reddit wrote, according to the warrant. He later added: “I’m going to search for him myself tonight. Armed and read to fire. Then the parents are next.” |
| The police charged a man, Trevor Spring, 31, with making the threat. | The police charged a man, Trevor Spring, 31, with making the threat. |
| Edgar Sandoval and Ali Watkins contributed reporting. | Edgar Sandoval and Ali Watkins contributed reporting. |