A noose and menacing note allegedly found next to a black student's car at a Texas high school has launched a police investigation.

Marion police Sgt. Darren Haverstock says the case is being investigated as a hate crime and terroristic threat. He declined to reveal the contents of the note found Monday at Marion High School near San Antonio.

Gloria Burleson is a spokeswoman for the student's family. She told the San Antonio Express-News (http://bit.ly/wYpE04 ) that classmates began harassing the student after the family sought an apology from a teacher who allegedly made an inappropriate remark.

Less than 1 percent of the nearly 1,400 students in the rural school district are black.