A Georgia middle school teacher was jailed for threatening to cut off the head of a Muslim kid who protested an Israeli flag in his classroom.
WMAZ reports that Warner Robbins Middle School seventh-grade social studies teacher Benjamin Reese, 51, was arrested last Friday for making a terroristic threat and child abuse.
After a female confronted him in a corridor and informed him she found the flag in his room offensive “due to Israelis killing Palestinians,” many people heard him yelling threats, according to an incident report.
You s—t motherf—king piece! Your ass will be kicked! Your motherf—king skull should be chopped off!" He shouted after calling the girl antisemitic.
Reese also threatened to “slit her goddamn throat and drag her ass outside and cut her head off,” according to many classmates.
The instructor, who has not been to school since the alleged threats, informed the girl he is Jewish and has relations in Israel, according to the records.
“You don’t make an antisemitic comment like that to a Jew,” a faculty member heard Reese say, the incident report states. The report indicated the teenager reacted adversely without shouting.
Teacher and student witnesses were interrogated by a deputy. WMAZ reported that surveillance video showed Reese yelling and returning to his classroom without audio.
After the officer questioned if he had threatened kids, Reese grew combative and denied speaking to anybody, the report reads.
The instructor denied saying anything racist but said he informed a flag-offended kid they were antisemitic.
He then stated “nothing further” and “invoked his civil rights.”
All Houston County School District staff must follow the Code of Ethics for Educators, the district told WMAZ.
We investigate and respond to violations and accusations. Mr. Reese has not been on Warner Robins Middle School's campus since Dec. 7, 2023, but we cannot discuss personnel concerns.
A court placed Reese's terroristic threat bail at $2,500 and cruelty bond at $5,000. Reese's free.
In Gaza, tensions were high during the Israel-Hamas war.
Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and Israel's Gaza offensive have sparked several antisemitic and anti-Muslim acts.
“We welcome the swift action against Benjamin Reese including the charges and arrest in connection with the horrific threats he allegedly made to a child,” CAIR-Georgia executive director Azka Mahmood told CNN.
“We hope the Board of Education will take the appropriate steps to ensure that, if this teacher made the remarks he is accused of, he is not allowed back in classrooms where he can cause immeasurable harm to Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian students,” she continued.
The original article was posted on the New York Post. Read it here.