Death Note notebook at Chocksett Middle School: student suspended for 3 days
A student at Chocksett Middle School in Sterling, Massachusetts was suspended for three days after staff found a Death Note notebook.
Police and school officials spoke with the notebook’s owner and other students, and concluded there was no credible threat.
The student was still given a three-day suspension. Principal Tina Boss said the student linked the notebook to the Death Note anime and manga and that it was not meant as a threat.
What happened
The incident took place at Chocksett Middle School in Sterling, Massachusetts, where school staff found a notebook referencing Death Note, the Japanese anime and manga series, on September 30 at around 4:00 p.m. Based on the available information, the notebook was discovered after students had already gone home for the day. The school then contacted police to review its contents.
According to the available information, the notebook also contained the names of some classmates. School officials and police spoke with the notebook’s owner and with other students to determine the intent behind it and whether there was any concrete threat. The Sterling Police Department said the investigation found no signs of a credible threat.
Even so, the school decided to take disciplinary action and suspended the student for three days. In a letter to parents and staff, principal Tina Boss said the student explained that the notebook was based on Death Note and was not intended as a threat. Police also said no criminal charges were being pursued. That left the school discipline and police investigation with different outcomes: police saw no criminal case, while the school still imposed a suspension.
The available information does not specify the exact passages or drawings in the notebook, beyond the fact that it included some classmates’ names. It also does not explain why the school chose a three-day suspension specifically. What is clear is that the case was taken seriously enough at the school level to involve both police and multiple students in the review.
Timeline
September 30, around 4:00 p.m. — School staff discover a Death Note notebook at Chocksett Middle School in Sterling after students have already gone home.
September 30 - early October — School officials and police speak with the notebook’s owner and other students to assess its contents and intent.
During the investigation — Police conclude the notebook did not pose a credible threat and say no criminal charges are being pursued.
After the investigation — The student receives a three-day suspension from the school.
October 6 — Police are present at the school and say they will continue that presence where appropriate.
Background
Death Note is a well-known Japanese anime and manga series centered on a notebook used to write down people’s names. That reference, according to principal Tina Boss, explained why the notebook was created at school. The series is internationally known, and its title directly refers to the story’s central object, which can make a school notebook with that name or style stand out quickly.
The case shows that school discipline and police investigations do not always lead to the same outcome. The Sterling Police Department said there was no credible threat and that no criminal charges were being pursued, but the school still issued a suspension. Why exactly three days was chosen was not explained in the available information. It also remains unclear what role the classmates’ names played in the school’s assessment.
The report that police were present at the school on October 6 shows the situation continued to draw attention after the initial investigation. The available information says police would continue that presence where appropriate, but does not make clear whether that was directly tied to the notebook incident or part of a broader precaution. The core of the case is clear, but some details about the school’s decision and follow-up measures remain unspecified in the source material.