Hannover teacher charged with terrorism after alleged threats

A former Hanover High School teacher faces a terroristic threatening charge after a colleague allegedly heard him threaten to bring a gun to school, according to court documents.

Kenneth Decie, 54, of Quincy, was placed on administrative leave from the school last fall after a foreign language teacher overheard him “explaining” to another teacher about measures disciplinary measures against him, according to court records.

The Hannover police investigation revealed that the foreign language teacher allegedly heard Decie say in a teachers’ common area on September 19, 2023: “when something like this happens, it makes me want to go home and recover my rifle.”

The foreign language teacher reported the comment the next day, and Hanover High School Principal Matthew Mattos determined that Decie had spoken about the alleged threat against fellow teacher and president of the Hanover teachers union, Steve Henderson, according to court records.

Decie was placed on leave after an internal investigation, and parents and families were notified of the alleged threat on September 22. Decie is no longer a teacher in Hanover Public Schools, a spokesperson confirmed in an email Tuesday. It is unclear when he was fired.

Henderson told police Decie was talking about an upcoming disciplinary hearing when he made the alleged threat. Henderson told police he understood why it was threatening, but said Decie’s comment was taken out of context. Henderson had previously told the principal that he felt the alleged threat was metaphorical and that he would have reported it if he thought it was a direct threat, according to court documents.

Hanover police contacted Decie, who said he “could have” said something about a gun. He also told police he did not own any firearms, according to court records.

Police said they determined Decie had no criminal record, but had previously had a firearm license and firearm identification, both of which had expired.

Police then searched his Quincy home, where “no evidence was found,” according to court documents. Decie was initially charged with threatening to commit a crime, but police said the “more appropriate charge” was terroristic threats.

A request for comment to Decie’s attorney was not immediately returned Tuesday evening.