A Georgia middle school teacher, Benjamin Reese, 51, has been arrested on charges of making terroristic threats and cruelty to children after allegedly threatening to behead a Muslim student who confronted him about an Israeli flag in his classroom. Reese, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Warner Robbins Middle School, was arrested on December 8 and released on bond two days later. However, bond conditions require him to stay away from the school and the student he threatened.

According to an incident report, the incident unfolded when a girl approached Reese in a hallway to express her offense at the Israeli flag because of the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Reese, who claimed to be Jewish and have relatives in Israel, accused the student of being antisemitic and began screaming threats at her. Witnesses reported hearing Reese scream threats, including one where he said he would cut off the girl's head. Some students also heard him say he would "slit her goddamn throat and drag her a** outside and cut her head off." A faculty member overheard Reese saying, "You don't make an antisemitic comment like that to a Jew." The student responded negatively, but she did not shout.

Surveillance video footage captured Reese shouting before returning to his classroom, although the video did not include audio. When questioned by a deputy, Reese denied the allegations and invoked his civil rights. The Houston County School District stated that Reese has not been on the school campus since December 7, 2023, and emphasized their commitment to investigating and appropriately responding to violations of the Code of Ethics for Educators.

This incident occurs amid heightened tensions worldwide surrounding the war in the Middle East between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists. Numerous antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents have been reported since Hamas launched its attack against Israel in October. In response to Reese's arrest, the Council on American-Islamic Relations Georgia (CAIR) issued a statement welcoming the swift action against him. They emphasized the need for the Board of Education to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian students. CAIR is working with the student's family to ensure their safety and the safety of the Warner Robins community.