GOODYEAR, Ariz. — A West Valley teacher fears for her life after she found death threats made against her written on a classroom desk.
JoLea Kendall found the notes on February 22, before her classes began as a math intervention specialist at Western Sky Middle School in Goodyear.
“I was putting out supplies for the day, and I saw some scribbles on a desk,” Kendall said. “But when I got closer, I saw it was death threats to me.”
She took photos of two of the scribbles. They read “Kill Ms. Kendall” and “Die Ms. K.” Other notes said, “I hope you die,” and “I hate math intervention,” the teacher added.
“I was absolutely shocked and scared,” Kendall said. “I didn’t know who wrote it, or when it happened, and what was going to happen because of it.”
Kendall said she immediately notified the school staff and the administration.
“I told them how I felt, that I didn’t feel comfortable coming back to campus while this was happening,” she added.
School administrators began an immediate investigation “of an indirect threat” and notified a Goodyear Police Department SRO, the Litchfield Elementary School District spokesperson, Sam Nuanez, said.
“The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority, and all threats are taken seriously,” Nuanez said.
While the district investigated, Kendall stayed home.
“I didn’t hear from anybody until Friday afternoon, and they told me that they’re pretty sure who did it, but there is nothing they could do about it because he won’t confess,” the teacher added.
The district told 12News their investigation determined there was insufficient evidence to positively identify the source of the anonymously written threat and was deemed non-credible. Nuanez said no disciplinary actions were taken.
“So, I said, that makes me really uncomfortable because if I don’t know who did it and [the student is] allowed to remain on campus, then they’re free to get at me whenever,” Kendall said. “I don’t feel safe going back, and I fear that students are thinking this way, and nothing is being done to help them.”
Kendall said the district gave her three options, go back and teach at the school, transfer to a different school, or take an unpaid leave of absence.
She chose to transfer.
The district also asked Kendall to use personal time off for the days she missed while they investigated the threat.
When 12News asked the district about this, the spokesperson said they don’t comment on personnel issues.
In an email to Kendall, the school’s principal told her, “Since the students were removed from your classroom during the investigation and moving forward, it has been determined that the time will not be paid. You are welcome to use your available earned leave time and sick time,” read an email provided to 12News.
“I’m just in shock that this is the way it unfolded,” the teacher said. “I thought for sure, that with the world that we live in right now, that a death threat would be taken a lot more seriously than this.”
Kendall said she was told the threats were deemed noncredible because they didn’t say, "I am going to…"
“If it would have said, ‘I am going to kill, or I am going to murder,’ then that’s a direct threat. But because it just said ‘kill’ and ‘die,’ that was not direct,” Kendall said. “Even though it has my name on it.”
LESD hired a Director of School Safety to evaluate and enhance the district’s safety procedures, the spokesperson said.
“We will work diligently with our local law enforcement agencies (Goodyear, Buckeye, Avondale, MCSO) to create a safe learning environment for our students and staff,” Nuanez said.
Kendall is now a Permanent Guest Teacher at another school.
Goodyear police told 12News they take all threats seriously, added that the case is close on their side and added, “this is now a school discipline issue.”
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