Teacher fired after threatening to bring rifle to school trying to get job back

A Massachusetts teacher is appealing his firing after officials say he threatened to bring his rifle to school.

A judge Wednesday reduced the charge against Kenneth Decie, 54, of Quincy, a former Hanover teacher. The threat was made in response to disciplinary action taken against him by the school's principal, according to police reports.

Decie was originally charged under a law dealing with "terroristic threats." Because Hingham District Court doesn't have jurisdiction over a charge of that magnitude, the state would have had to indict Decie and transfer the case to Superior Court.

Instead, Assistant District Attorney Jason Blanchette requested an lesser charge of threatening to commit a crime. Decie's defense lawyer Eric S. Goldman agreed to the change.

Police say that Decie made the threat in response to disciplinary action taken against him by the school's principal, Matthew Mattos.

Decie made the threat in September while discussing the disciplinary matter with Steve Henderson, a fellow teacher and president of the Hanover Teachers Association, in a common room for staff. Another teacher heard threat and became concerned, according to the police report.

"Obviously, he regrets what he said," Goldman said after the court hearing. "It was not meant as a threat in anyway."

When Mattos learned of the incident, he brought it to the attention of Superintendent Matthew Ferron, at which point a decision was made to put Decie on administrative leave. Blanchette said that Ferron eventually fired Decie.

Blanchette requested and was granted a stay-away order barring Decie from contacting Ferron, Mattos and the witness who overheard his alleged threat. Decie was also ordered to stay away from Hanover schools.

While answering reporters' questions after the hearing, Goldman said that Decie is appealing his termination. Prior to the threat, the school administration was investigating Decie's absences from afterschool activities, absences Goldman said were due to a COVID illness.

Goldman said that Decie was a committed teacher at Hanover High School for 17 years. The administration knew about Decie's illness when it investigated his afterschool absences, a fact that upset Decie, Goldman said.

Decie was released without bail. His next court date was scheduled for June 5.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Fired teacher who made gun threats wants his job back