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No, Houston County schools don't have to notify parents if their children are interviewed as witnesses

The Houston County School District and District Attorney say "no," schools are not required to notify parents if their children are witnesses to an incident.

HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — When a Houston County teacher was arrested for allegedly making terroristic threats against a student, some parents said they had no idea what happened until we broke the news. 

Benjamin Reese is a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Warner Robins Middle School.

He was arrested for terroristic threats and cruelty to children in the third degree on Dec. 8.

Reese allegedly threatened to behead a student for making a comment about how they were offended by his Israeli flag on Dec. 7, according to the incident report. 

In the Houston County Sheriff's Office report, 21 people are listed as victims; 15 are minors. 

Some parents say they had no idea what happened until 13WMAZ broke the news and shared concerns online. 

One mom of a middle schooler at WRMS said she "was really shocked" to hear about the case from our story after her father messaged her a link, rather than from the school district itself. 

Another mom said her child was nearby, but she was not notified and hoped her child wasn't interviewed without her knowing.

13WMAZ Verify:

Do parents of children at Houston County Schools need to be notified about their children being interviewed as witnesses to a crime at school?

Our sources are:

The Houston County School District and District Attorney William Kendall.

According to Houston County schools:

"In cases other than where directed by court order, no pupil shall be questioned in the school or taken from the school by a non-school agency, or its duly authorized representative, unless the same is first authorized, in writing, by the pupil’s parent or legal guardian, or is permitted and authorized by law.  Except where previously authorized in writing, as aforesaid, building principals will:

  1. Make reasonable efforts to notify the parent or legal guardian, as the case may be, or requests or demands to question the pupil in or to take the pupil from the school.
     
  2. Make reasonable efforts to cause the pupil to be informed of all his or her rights under law, in connection with such questioning in or removal from school, by the person or agency permitted and authorized by law to do such questioning or to effect such removal.
     
  3. Make reasonable efforts to cause the person or agency authorized by law to question a pupil or to remove the pupil from school, to defer such action until the parent or legal guardian is present."

For background, Kendall said "It's not a crime or criminal matter not to notify parents when questioning a minor as a witness at school," and there are legal protections for students who are questioned as suspects, but not for possible witnesses. 

He added that means law enforcement does not have to ask parents' permission to question witnesses or notify parents afterward.

Kendall added the Georgia State Criminal Code Section does not require the school board to notify parents about their kids being questioned.

According to the Houston County schools, that means the district will try to notify parents or guardians, try to see students are informed of their legal rights and try to get authorities to put off those interviews until a parent or guardian is present.

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