A racist letter was sent out from a high school teacher's email account that appeared to be hacked, the state's department of education said.
The email came from a Wilcox Technical High School's teacher's account that was hacked around 2:17 p.m., police said.
The writer emailed a staff member and cc'd entire staff and school body with a message that contained explicit language and racist comments.
"The email sent today included deeply disturbing, inappropriate, and offensive racial comments that have absolutely no place in our schools. The Technical High School System and the Department of Education take these matters extremely seriously and are working with State Police to identify all individuals involved," Laura J. Stefon, the chief of staff with the Connecticut State Department of Education, said in a statement.
Students told NBC Connecticut they were shocked by the message.
"No matter color you are or anything, you shouldn’t be disrespectful. We’re all people. Inside you’re the same," said Matt Adkins, a sophomore at the school.
Within minutes of the offensive email being sent out, parents say they received messages from administrators explaining what had happened.
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Many credit the quick work of troopers and the school’s principal.
"I have confidence she’s handled this and they have a good rapport with the state police who are stationed here," said Tracy Rosenzweig of Meriden.
While there is no threat to any students, Connecticut State Police said an extra trooper will be at the school in Meriden during morning drop-off Tuesday.
Stefon said the investigation is ongoing and school administration is working closely with state police.
