US teacher arrested after threatening to behead student over comments about Israel flag

A teacher in the US State of Georgia has been arrested on multiple charges, including child cruelty after allegedly threatening to behead one of his 7th grade students over comments made about an Israeli flag.

According to local reports, 51-year-old Benjamin Reese, a teacher at Warner Robins Middle School in Houston County was arrested on Friday having been charged with Felony Terroristic Threats and Acts and Misdemeanor Cruelty to Children in the Third Degree. He was released on bail on Sunday, two days after his arrest.

Benjamin Reese, a teacher in Georgia, USA, has been arrested and accused of threatening to behead a 12-year-old who said that the presence of Israel’s flag in his class was offensive.

The story has been out almost 24 hours and no coverage from national or international news. pic.twitter.com/dTQZOicWt0

— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) December 14, 2023

Houston County School District officials released a statement to WGXA News saying Reese has not been on campus since Thursday, one day before his arrest: “All employees of the Houston County School District are required to follow the Code of Ethics for Educators. If there is a violation or accusation of a violation, we investigate and respond appropriately. 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 December 7, 2023. Safety and the well-being of our students and staff is our number one priority.”

A report by state news station 13WMAZ revealed that a female student told the social studies teacher that an Israeli flag he had displayed in his classroom offended her, to which he cursed at her and threatened to kill her.

READ: Columbia University student says situation ‘very scary’ for pro-Palestine activists

The teacher reportedly was asked by the student, who was with two classmates, why he had the flag. Reese explained that he is Jewish and has relatives in the occupation state, to which the student responded that she found the flag offensive due to the large Palestinian civilian death toll in Gaza as a result of Israel’s bombing campaign.

After being labelled “anti-Semitic”, the police report says the students left his classroom only to be pursued by the teacher down the hallway where he continued to yell at them.

Several witnesses, including other teachers, said they heard Reese say: ‘I should cut your motherf**king head off!’ and other profanities.

Despite the severity of the incident, the news story has not made national news or has been covered by any major US news networks.

READ: University of Texas students protest against journalist over Rafat Al-Areer’s death