Children headed to school (illustration)
Children headed to school (illustration)Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in coordination with local police, has opened an investigation into a threatening letter sent to a Jewish day school in Greensboro, North Carolina. 

The B'nai Shalom Day School promptly sent students home after receiving the letter on Monday. The Beth David Synagogue was threatened as well. 

According to local media reports, racial epithets - apparently anti-Semitic slurs - were used in the letter, which also threatened specific acts of violence against the school and synagogue. 

FBI spokesperson Shelly Lynch told Fox8, "the FBI is assisting our law enforcement partners at the Greensboro Police Department investigating a letter sent to a school in Greensboro that included racially charged language."

"The FBI offers resources, forensic expertise, and experience in identification and proof of whether or not bias-based motivations are present."

Meanwhile, Greensboro Jewish Federation Director Marilyn Forman issued a statement acknowledging the threat, saying the city's Jewish institutions were taking "special precautions" and "remain vigilant."

"We are working closely with the Greensboro Police Department, FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to do everything in our power to ensure the safety of our community," the statement read.

It thanked "local law enforcement agencies for their responsiveness" and voiced appreciation for the "many messages of support and encouragement from area churches and other community institutions."