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Hanover teacher facing terrorism charge after alleged overheard threat
A teacher allegedly overheard Kenneth Decie say in a teacher common space on last fall that “when something like that happens it makes me want to go home and get my rifle," according to court records.
A former Hanover High School teacher is facing a terroristic threat charge after a colleague allegedly heard him threaten to bring a gun to school, court documents show.
54-year-old Kenneth Decie of Quincy was placed on administrative leave from the school last fall after a foreign language teacher overheard him “venting” to another teacher about disciplinary action against him, court records show.
Hanover police’s investigation found that the foreign language teacher allegedly overheard Decie say in a teacher common space on Sept. 19, 2023 that “when something like that happens it makes me want to go home and get my rifle.”
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The foreign language teacher reported the comment the next day, and Hanover High Principal Matthew Mattos determined that Decie said the alleged threat to fellow teacher and Hanover Teachers Union President Steve Henderson, court records show.
Decie was placed on leave after an internal investigation, and parents and families were notified about the alleged threat Sept. 22. Decie is no longer a teacher with Hanover Public Schools, a spokesperson confirmed in an email Tuesday. It is unclear when he was terminated.
Henderson told police that Decie was talking about an upcoming disciplinary hearing when he made the alleged threat. Henderson told police that he understood why it was threatening, but said Decie’s comment was taken out of context. Henderson had told the principal previously that he felt the alleged threat was metaphorical and would have reported it if he thought it was a direct threat, court documents say.
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Hanover police reached out to Decie, who said he “could have” said something about a rifle. He also told police that did not own any guns, court records show.
Police said they determined that Decie didn’t have a criminal record, but he had once had a license to carry firearms and a firearms identification which were both expired.
Police then searched his Quincy home, where there was “no evidence located,” court documents say. Decie was initially charged with threats to commit a crime, but police said “the more appropriate charge” was covered by terroristic threats.
A request for comment to Decie’s lawyer was not immediately returned Tuesday night.
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