Police in Massachusetts have launched an investigation into a death threat sent to a 10-year-old Muslim girl at an elementary school.
The student who attends Hemenway Elementary, reported two threatening notes sent to her, one found last Friday and another on Monday, in her storage bin.
The notes read: “You are a terrorist” and “I will kill you”.
Responding to hateful notes, Principal Liz Simon visited all the classrooms and called on the perpetrator to confess and apologise.
She told the students that the threatening notes could be deemed as a hate crime, and then explained to them what a hate crime is.
Principal Simon also sent a letter to the students’ parents informing them about the incident.
In a press conference held on Wednesday, Principal Simon said: “I am heartbroken and I think my whole community is because this is not just a one and done.
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“This is something we live every single day with every single student trying to make them feel respected and included and it’s devastating that this incident occurred.”
The chairman of Hemenway Elementary’s committee board, Adam Freudberg, called the threats a “discriminatory hate crime.”
While Massachusetts police are working with school officials to investigate the threatening notes, the victim received an outpour of support from fellow students and community members.
Principal Simon asked students to write notes of support to their fellow pupil.
She said: “We pride ourselves as being an inclusive, warm, caring community and I do feel that we are, but obviously, we have someone who’s not feeling respectful and is not respecting the rights of others. So, I’m sorry.”
