A 47‑year‑old man was sentenced to six months in prison on Thursday after threatening to behead a female primary school teacher in the village of Le Fauga, just outside Toulouse.
The fast‑track hearing followed the incident, which took place six days earlier when the teacher disciplined the father’s son for disruptive behaviour in class. The teacher was subsequently threatened by the father, who allegedly waited outside the school and warned she would “cut off her head” if she were a man.
Following the threat, the teacher was granted official protection and has taken sick leave. The case was brought before a judge in Toulouse, who noted the remarks were disturbing, especially in light of the 2016 murder of Samuel Paty in Conflans‑Sainte‑Honorine.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray said the incident underscored that “no teacher should be afraid to do their job” and that attacking a teacher is an attack on the entire institution. He added that the case would be one of the first uses of a July law designed to protect staff from significant risk posed by a student’s family member.
The judge rejected the prosecutor’s request for house arrest and ordered the father to serve the sentence in jail. He was also required to complete a citizenship course and to refrain from contacting the victim or approaching the school.
It is believed the boy and his younger sister may be transferred to another school outside Le Fauga. The teacher, in her 50s, expressed shock at the threat.
Authorities are monitoring the situation closely, and the case has reignited discussions about school safety and the protection of educators in France.
