Photo: Council Bluffs Police Department
A high school teacher in Iowa was arrested for allegedly leaving handwritten notes threatening to commit violence at her school. Authorities accused Katrina Phelan, 37, of leaving four notes around Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs. Some of the notes were discovered by her students, while Phelan alerted school officials to others.
The notes were signed by an unnamed student who said they were tired of being bullied by classmates.
Phelan admitted to writing the notes and told investigators she wrote them "out of concern, worry, and frustration over the lack of control of her classroom." However, authorities said there was no indication that Phelan planned to carry out the threats to shoot people at the school.
Phelan turned herself in and was charged with three felony counts of threats of terrorism, which carry a prison term of up to five years. She has since been dismissed by the school.
"We want all students, parents, and staff members to have confidence that our schools are safe and supportive environments," the school's principal, Bridgette Bellows, said in a letter to parents.
Parents praised how officials handled the situation and said they weren't concerned about the safety of their children.
"I feel very reassured that they're doing the right things and it's swift and taken care of, and things are being done appropriately," parent Kelli Blair told KETV.