Six eighth grade students in Massachusetts were charged Thursday with threats to commit a crime after their social media conversation came to light and was deemed racist by local authorities.

A chat on Snapchat involving the Southwick Regional School students turned “hateful” and “racist online” on Feb. 8, according to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office. The six involved began a conversation targeted against two others that involved threats, racial slurs, derogatory images and videos, and a reference to a mock slave auction.

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