Fifth-Grade Muslim Student Receives "You're a Terrorist" Note in Class

A 10-year old Muslim schoolgirl in Boston, Massachusetts received two threatening handwritten notes in her cubby and police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

Police say the first note found at Hemenway Elementary School in Framingham, Massachusetts, was found inside the 10-year-old's storage area in the classroom. Written in pencil the note read, "You're a terrorist." 

A few days later, a second threatening note was found by the schoolgirl that was much more direct: "I will kill you." 

Authorities don't believe the fifth grader or any of her fellow students are in any kind of imminent danger at the moment. Framingham School District Superintendent Robert Trembly told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday that "Safety is our priority" at Hemenway Elementary School. 

In addition to the investigation being conducted by police, the  school district will also conducting an investigation into the notes, Tremblay said. 

The 10-year-old's identity was being withheld according to the family's request, who want to protect her privacy. The girl is still attending school, her uncle told CNN. 

The fifth grader brought the first note to her teacher on Friday, but the school didn't immediately involve the police, according to Principal Elizabeth Simon, who said they were hoping a student would come forward. 

When the second note appeared in the cubby, the police were brought in to investigate the incident. 

The school emailed parents at the school requesting any information they may have about who sent the notes. Tremblay told reporters that residents across the state should have a bigger conversation about hate. 

"This is a pervasive problem [that] we need to take a stand on and address," he said.

"When you think about a child who's in fifth grade," said Tremblay. "That kind of hate, you know, where does that come from? It's not an innate feeling that a child would have. And the concern that we have is, how is this a teachable opportunity for our classrooms?"

Fifth graders at the school wrote nice notes to the student who received the threats and school officials say they're holding talks with each class to process the incident. 

Photo: Getty Images


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