Katy ISD investigating after Seven Lakes Jr. High students receive racist and threatening text messages

KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- Officials in Katy ISD say they are investigating after a series of racist and threatening text messages were sent to a group of Seven Lakes Junior High School students.

A group of Katy moms say they're extremely upset after getting calls from their daughters at school in tears.

The girls were sitting together at lunch when they say every black student in 8th grade at Seven Lakes Jr. High got the racist and threatening text messages.

"I was horrified, terrified," said concerned parent Danecia Stewart.

The messages contained the N-word and threatened violence against its recipients.

"I could not believe that my child, who is 13, had experienced this level of hate and this level of racism," added parent Mona Smith.

Another student's mother said given the climate in the aftermath of the deadly Santa Fe High School shooting on Friday, she is "scared to death."

"It was like around 12:00 p.m. when everyone received the racist message," said 8th grader Kayla Lyons.

"It went from phone to phone to phone. When everybody got it they started looking up at each other. I looked up at Kayla. Kayla shows me her phone. I looked across the room and there was a table of black boys and they were looking at their phone," added student Joy Smith.

After the texts were sent out, several parents rushed to the school.

"I walked in and I saw so many girls crying, that literally broke me down," said parent Monique Lyons.

Parents are now wondering how someone got their child's personal cell number.

School administrators said Katy ISD police are working to figure out who sent the text messages. So far they say the texts came from two unknown numbers.

As a precaution, Katy ISD said more officers are being added at the campus through the end of the school year.

Katy ISD released this statement regarding the incident:

This afternoon the campus administration at Seven Lakes Junior High was made aware of some racial and threatening text messages sent to a group of students, from two unknown numbers. The school administration along with the Katy ISD Police Department immediately launched an investigation to determine the source behind these inappropriate and offensive text messages. As an added precaution, police presence has been increased and we will remain on high alert until the end of the school year. At Katy ISD, providing a safe, secure and respectful environment is our top priority.

"We will be here for our children whether we have to sit in the classroom with them or not we will be here," said Lyons.

"The school needs to do something about it and I just sit around and say everything's gonna be OK," added student Niya Peterson.