Marlboro County School District officials say three eighth grade boys passed threatening notes to two eighth grade girls at Blenheim Elementary Middle School last month. They say the notes contained threats and references to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and are a form of bullying.
The district's public information officer, Dr. Henry Cobb, says the girls didn't initially report it because they didn't want to get anyone in trouble.
"Anything of that nature that appears to be a threat to the student, we definitely take it serious," said Dr. Cobb.
Cobb says the principal has one of the notes. He says it made reference to the KKK wanting the mother of one of the girls.
Dr. Cobb says a second note contained a derogatory statement using the n-word. He says the girls can't find that letter.
Cobb said, "The young ladies discarded the letter and was unable to find it."
He says there is only one word to describe this incident; bullying.
"It's bullying, because I don't think those kids really know the full effect of what they are saying. It's something that they've heard, and it's something that they're repeating," explained Cobb.
District officials don't believe the KKK has anything to do with the notes, but Cobb says the district won't accept this type of behavior from anyone.
They're contemplating making law enforcement aware of this situation.
Cobb explained, "As a reinforcement exactly, reinforcement with law enforcement, reinforcement with counselors, guidance counselors talking with the kids because those are the kinds of words and phrases that are used that could cause a small situation to become much larger."
He adds the district reviewed the handwriting on the notes, but couldn't prove who wrote them.
The school guidance counselor will counsel the boys.
Cobb says the school's principal has met with a couple of the parents of the students involved and plans to meet with the others.
