A teacher who tweeted about wanting to stab and shoot pupils that she hated is being allowed to continue working at the same California school despite outrage from parents.

Krista Hodges, who works at Newark Memorial High School, posted the series of offensive messages, on social media between April and June this year.

In one vile post, she claimed 'I already want to stab some kids. Is that bad? 19 more days' - while in another she wrote 'so happy to be done w/school for 10 days, but especially to be away from the ones who truly try my patience & make my trigger finger itchy'.

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Krista Hodges (above), who works at Newark Memorial High School, posted the series of offensive messages on social media between April and June this year

On learning of the tweets, the district disciplined Hodges sending her a written reprimand - but amazingly they allowed her to keep her post, San Jose Mercury News reports.

Shocking: Series of messages posted about pupils on Twitter by teacher Krista Hodges

Tim Erwin, interim superintendent of the school, confirmed there was an investigation into Hodges' online messages but would not expand on what her punishment was.

He added that he consulted California education law, school board policy and the teacher's union contract to guide him in deciding discipline for Hodges.

He said: 'The only thing I can say is we were made aware of it, and we followed our policies and procedures and that investigation has concluded.'

It was one of Hodges' colleagues who brought the tweets to the attention of the district and the school principal and the shamed teacher has now deleted her Twitter account.

In an apologetic email, Hodges said: 'If I had thought for one moment that someone would read anything I said on Twitter and take me seriously, you'd better believe I would have been much more careful with what I've said.'

On May 28, she also wrote: 'Y’all think you can hate us teachers … guess what we feel the same about you. We are just not allowed to show it #Isecretlyhateyou.'

Many parents are said to be dismayed by her continued employment at the school.

In an NBC innterview, one mother, Vanessa Chavez, said: I think she should be fired, she should not work at the school. It's not okay, It's unacceptable.'

But in contrast, some pupils have jumped to the teacher's defense claiming they do not want her to be fired because 'she's a great teacher'.

Kept her job: Krista Hodges has been allowed to continue her post at the school despite posting a series of vile messages about her pupils on Twitter

One student, called Alisha, tweeted: 'She's a great teacher and person, those tweets were blown up into a bigger deal than what it was. Everyone vents.'

School board President Nancy Thomas was said to be 'speechless' after seeing the tweets but declined to comment on whether the written reprimand was appropriate.

She said the school board lets administrators handle personnel issues, unless they come before the board.