Father who said he would have BEHEADED his son’s primary school teacher ‘if she was a man’ for calling him ‘a little bully’ is jailed after case shocked France
A 47-year-old father, identified as Abdelkader B., has been jailed for six months after telling his son's primary school teacher that he would have cut off her head "if she were a man", in a case that has deeply unsettled the small village of Le Fauga in southwestern France. The threat came after he confronted her over calling his son "a little thug", and drew immediate comparisons to the 2020 beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, prompting colleagues to refuse to enter the school and authorities to fast-track the prosecution.
Toulouse Criminal Court heard that the father approached the teacher following a meeting with the school's principal on 4 September 2026, and admitted his manner was "perhaps a little aggressive", though his account of events differed from that of the victim and witnesses, who said the beheading threat was first made in the car park before he followed her into the school and warned his son might "come with a knife and stab" her. The teacher, now on sick leave and under official protection, was represented by lawyer Ms Momasso Momasso, who said the remarks were "no longer tolerable" given France's history. Alongside his six-month sentence, the father was ordered to attend a citizenship course and banned from contacting the teacher or school for three years; the case has also drawn comment from Education Minister Edouard Geffray, whose new law allows children to be moved schools where they pose a "significant risk" to staff.
In short
- Father jailed six months for beheading threat against son's teacher
- Case echoed 2020 murder of teacher Samuel Paty, shocking France
- He's barred from teacher and school for three years, must take citizenship course
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A prison sentence can be defended as a necessary response to a specific, grave threat against a teacher, particularly when it included a reference to a knife and caused her to go on sick leave under protection. In a country still marked by the killing of Samuel Paty, swift action may also reassure school staff that threats will be taken seriously and help protect their ability to teach safely.
The case against
A thoughtful case for restraint would stress that sentencing should reflect the proven facts, the defendant’s intent and circumstances, rather than the public shock or historical associations the case evokes. Even serious intimidation can be condemned while questioning whether imprisonment is proportionate, and whether measures such as supervision, a citizenship course and restrictions on contact could protect the teacher without a custodial term.
Explained simply
French primary schools are run by the state, and disputes between parents and teachers can become criminal matters if threats are made. Le Fauga is a village near Toulouse in southwestern France, where the case has affected the local school community.
The threat echoed the 2020 killing of teacher Samuel Paty, who was beheaded after showing pupils cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a lesson on freedom of expression. That attack made threats against teachers a particularly sensitive issue in France.
The case also comes as officials debate how schools should respond when pupils pose risks to staff. A recent law allows a child to be moved to another school if they are judged to pose a significant risk.