39-13-114 - Communicating a threat concerning a school employee. - Tennessee Statutes

39-13-114. Communicating a threat concerning a school employee.

(a)  For purposes of this section, “school” means any:

     (1)  Elementary school, middle school or high school;

     (2)  Technology center or postsecondary vocational or technical school; or

     (3)  Two-year or four-year college or university.

(b)  A person commits the offense of communicating a threat concerning a school employee if:

     (1)  The person communicates to another a threat to cause the death of or serious bodily injury to a school employee and the threat is directly related to the employee's scope of employment;

     (2)  The threat involves the use of a firearm or other deadly weapon;

     (3)  The person to whom the threat is made reasonably believes that the person making the threat intends to carry out the threat; and

     (4)  The person making the threat intentionally engages in conduct that constitutes a substantial step in the commission of the threatened act and the threatened act and the substantial step when taken together:

          (A)  Are corroborative of the person's intent to commit the threatened act; and

          (B)  Occur close enough in time to evidence an intent and ability to commit the threatened act.

(c)  Communicating a death threat concerning a school employee is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of thirty (30) days.

[Acts 2008, ch. 1141, § 1.]