Katy ISD Issues All Clear After Katy High School Threat

KATY MAGAZINE NEWS

April 15, 2021

By Natalie Cook Clark

Last night, many Katy High School students received a threatening text message asking them to stay home today stating that something “bad” would happen at school. Katy ISD assures families this morning that the threat was unfounded after KISD Police investigated the student involved.

Katy High School Starts School as Normal

Classes started as usual this morning for Katy High School students after the District assured families, staff, and students that the threat many received from an anonymous text last night is unfounded.

'Nothing Funny About It'

A Katy High School mom, who asked to remain anonymous, said her freshman is friends with one of the students who received the “threatening” texts. She shared that her child was pretty confident someone was playing a joke from the start. "I hope it can be a lesson in how serious these things are and how important it is not to make these kinds of jokes,” the Katy mom said. "There are people really scared, understandably so, because of a joke. They have to be taught that there’s nothing funny about it. That’s what I tried to reinforce to mine.”

The "joke" text was shared on social media last night.

Katy ISD Sends Email to Parents, Staff

Katy High School parents and staff received an email Thursday morning stating that the threat is unfounded after a swift investigation by Katy ISD Police Department.

According to the email, the identified suspect, a student, sent the text as a “joke.”

Kristin Sarlls has two sons enrolled at Katy High School and didn't hesitate sending them to school today.

"I think the District does a good job keeping our kids safe," says Kristin Sarlls. "If they felt there was any sort of actual threat, then they would have the action."

District Encourages Use of Reporting App

SpeakUP is an anonymous reporting system and free mobile app that lets Katy ISD students, parents, and community members anonymously submit safety tips to help prevent school related incidents that could harm others.

It is not known if the District learned about the text through the mobile app, but they encourage its use in this morning's email.

It is against the law to threaten a school even if the threat is unfounded. Katy ISD hasn’t released any details about how the situation will be handled but it will most likely come down to how the investigation defines this “threat.”