Parents protest Northwest ISD school's handling of alleged threats

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Some parents are angry a Northwest ISD middle school student is back in class after writings that include killing students.

The student at Tidwell Middle School in Roanoke published an online book that references hurting and killing specific students and sexually assaulting girls.

A portion from the last page reads, "wondering: if/when this story ends, it will end with a BANG, I promise. And to those that wanna write a hate message, how about you just re-read the first 9 chapters, and image my victims as yourself? Okay?"

The parents who protested outside the school Monday morning were upset he wasn't expelled and that they weren't notified earlier in the investigation.

"My kids are afraid. They're afraid for their safety and my kids watch the news and they've seen the one in Boston and the one in Columbine. They've heard and seen all of that and they're afraid that's what's going to happen here," said Angela Dean, the mother of two students at Tidwell.

There were about 170 students absent on Monday, which is about five times more than normal.

The Northwest Independent School District said student safety is a top priority, but legally its hands are tied. The book was written when the student was not even enrolled at Tidwell.

"This is a police matter and is currently under investigation by law enforcement. To our knowledge, an arrest has not been made. Should any NISD student be arrested, the district would consider options available in the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct," the district said in a statement.

Police will determine if the book should be considered a terroristic threat. It could also be deemed free speech.

In the meantime, the district said it is confident the school is secure and students are safe. A letter sent home to parents Friday asked for their patience and understanding.

The boy's father claims this is all just a misunderstanding.

He said his son is a good student. He is a good writer who writes frequently and has no intention of hurting anyone.

He was evaluated for two weeks and released before being allowed back in school, his father said.

The school admits there are reports the boy was teased and bullied because of a physical disability.