A Kansas teen and her father are fighting back after she received violent death threats from students at her high school because of her perceived sexual orientation.
17-year-old Hannah Reno received the death threats in the form of rap lyrics that were messaged to her via Facebook, and she told Fox4 Kansas City that she felt targeted because of her sexuality:
“It addressed things like my sexuality, and it addressed him wanting to kill me, and him wanting me to kill myself. It is definitely inappropriate to target somebody for their sexuality. It’s inappropriate to target anyone and write a song that’s wanting them to die.”
Her father was outraged at the violence of the threats:
“They wanted to cut her throat, shoot her, they wanted her to slit her wrists and cut her own throat. She just was almost hysterical that she couldn’t believe that she was attacked because of her sexual preference.”
Ultimately, the district suspended the students in question for severe disrespect and intimidation of another student. Unfortunately, that hasn’t done much for Hannah’s peace of mind:
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“I do feel unsafe. Bullying is not okay in any form at all.”
Watch the story via Fox4 Kansas City below.
GC1985
Suspended? How about expell them? And if these death threats were directed at someone else for a different reason at the school, expulsions and potential legal action would occur. A school is supposed to be a learning environment.
John Kuehnle
I’m actually amazed this stuff still happens, it is 2016. I hope things improve for her, in the real world these things won’t matter, hang in there Hannah
Brian
It’s appalling how cruel some students can be. I hope Hannah gets some satisfaction from the fact that the students were suspended but I would like to see them named and shamed too.
DCguy
Why are actions taken in schools treated differently than if they happened out on the streets?
You can have a student brutally beat another student, if it happened at a mall the person is arrested. If it happened in school the person gets a talking to and is suspended for 3 days.
Those kids need to be arrested for threats, let the court handle it. That way the next time they do something there is an arrest record, not a sealed school file.
John Malin
Kansan parents of these hooligan bullies – YOU HAVE FAILED YOUR CHRISTIAN DUTY TO TEACH YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT JESUS’ MESSAGE OF LOVE. SHAME ON YOU !!!
David Bolton
What I would do:
1) Teach my child self-defense and how to beat the f–k out of anyone who attacks her.
2) Arm my child and teach her to shoot to kill.
3) Prepare my eventual lawsuit against the school board.
GC1985
@DCguy: If there is a death threat here in California, there are lockdowns and possible arrests. These kids need to be arrested and sent to juvenile court.
GC1985
@David Bolton: How about preparing for criminal court when your child carries out killing someone? Someone like you shouldn’t be allowed to own a gun let alone giving to a child.
Daniel-Reader
America has laws regarding lethal force for self defense to protect yourself. Kansas law according to the Kansas AG government site is:
21-5222. Use of force in defense of a person; no duty to retreat
(a) A person is justified in the use of force against another when and to the extent it appears to such person and such person reasonably believes that such use of force is necessary to defend such person or a third person against such other’s imminent use of unlawful force.
(b) A person is justified in the use of deadly force under circumstances described in subsection (a) if such person reasonably believes that such use of deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to such person or a third person.
(c) Nothing in this section shall require a person to retreat if such person is using force to protect such person or a third person.