Georgia Teacher Threatened Cut off Student’s Head After She Objected to Israeli Flag in His Classroom: Police

A middle school teacher in Georgia was arrested last week after allegedly threatening to behead a student who objected to an Israeli flag in his classroom. 

Benjamin Reese, a 7th-grade teacher in Warner Robbins, about 100 miles southeast of Atlanta, was charged with making a terroristic threat and cruelty to children, according to 13WMAZ. He was arrested on Friday and released on a bond Sunday, WGXA reported.

Reese, 51, allegedly made the threats after a middle school student told him she found the Israeli flag in his classroom offensive and asked why he displayed it, the station reported.

Reese said it was because he is Jewish and has family in Israel. The student said it was offensive “due to Israelis killing Palestinians,” the incident report reviewed by 13WMAZ said. Reese told the student she was being antisemitic. 

The incident then allegedly escalated, and Reese reportedly began threatening the girl. Witnesses said he told her he would “kick her f---ing a--, slit her goddamn throat and drag her a-- outside and cut her head off,” 13WMAZ said.

He then allegedly continued to rant, saying the student was being antisemitic, and repeated the threat, allegedly saying "I will drag her a-- into the parking lot, slit her f---ing throat and kill her."

The school’s principal confronted Reese about the threats and he became defensive and denied making them. 

Houston County Schools, which runs the school where the incident occurred, said in a statement to 13WMAZ that “while we are not able to discuss specific personnel matters, we can share that Mr. Reese has not been on the campus of Warner Robins Middle School since Dec. 7, 2023. Safety and the well-being of our students and staff is our number one priority."