Massachusetts establishes harassment hotline following post-election incidents
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced a new hotline for reporting bias-motivated harassment, following a slew of nationwide reports of hate crimes and intimidation following Donald Trump’s election.
“There are reports from around the country following the election that people have been targeted and subjected to conduct that imperils safety and civil rights,” Healey said in a statement Monday. “Today, I am establishing a hotline for residents to report bias-motivated threats, harassment, and violence. Such conduct has no place in Massachusetts.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center has counted more than 300 cases of hateful harassment or intimidation nationwide since last Tuesday, according to CNN.
Even in Massachusetts—including at Wellesley College, Hillary Clinton’s alma mater, and in Natick—there have been recent reports of intimidation specifically referencing Trump’s election victory. The FBI reported Monday that hate crimes rose by two-thirds last year.
Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes, president of the Massachusetts Major City Chiefs, said police departments across the state “stand ready” to investigate allegations of unlawful harassment or intimidation against any individual, including racial, ethnic, religious, and LGBTQ groups.
Healey’s office encouraged any resident who witnesses or experiences “bias-motivated threats, harassment or violence” to call the new hotline at 1-800-994-3228. The hotline will be staffed by attorneys and staff in the attorney general’s office, officials said.
Residents can also fill out a civil rights complaint on the attorney general’s state website or contact the office through their Facebook or Twitter accounts. Those who fear for their safety or have witnessed a potential hate crime, including assault, battery, and property damage, are told to also contact local police or call 911.
Trump told CBS’s 60 Minutes he was surprised about the number of reported incidents of harassment or violence in his name.
“I am so saddened to hear that,” he said Sunday of incidents specifically targeting Latinos and Muslims.
“I say, ‘Stop it.’ If it—if it helps,” Trump said. “I will say this, and I will say right to the cameras: Stop it.”
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