Charges Filed After Coordinated Harassment of Yeshiva Students in Golf Manor
CINCINNATI — Jackson Mettler, 19, of Springboro, appeared before a judge on Wednesday morning following a May 4 incident in which prosecutors say he targeted students at Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati, an Orthodox Jewish high school on Section Road.
According to security footage obtained by The American Israelite, three vehicles pulled into an abandoned parking lot across from the school shortly after 3:00 p.m. The lead car, a white Ford Crown Victoria allegedly driven by Mettler, idled across from the yeshiva while occupants shouted at students gathered outside the building. According to social media, Mettler identifies as a member of the “Crown Vic Boys” Cincinnati Chapter—a local car collective whose members drive modified retired police interceptors.
Rabbi Gershon Atzvon told The Israelite that the confrontation lasted roughly three minutes before the vehicles sped away. Mettler allegedly yelled “F*** the Jews,” “Free Palestine,” and “I’d kill all you Jews.” Prosecutors focused particularly on one statement that now forms the basis of the menacing charge: “If I were you, I’d get my a** back inside.” The school’s surveillance footage captured the immediate reaction. Teenagers—some as young as 14—stopped, turned toward the vehicles, and ran into the building.
Mettler was released on his own recognizance during Wednesday’s proceedings. The judge instead ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring device and prohibited him from entering the area surrounding the yeshiva on Section Road. He faces charges of Menacing and Ethnic Intimidation.
Community leaders quickly condemned the incident.
“AJC Cincinnati condemns the antisemitic threats made outside Yeshivas Lubavitch High School in Golf Manor and commend local law enforcement for acting swiftly to apprehend the individual,” said Justin Kirschner, regional director of American Jewish Committee Cincinnati. “Charges of menacing and ethnic intimidation send an important message: antisemitism has consequences. But arrests alone are not enough. We must remain vigilant and united in our combined efforts to safeguard the community and advocate for Jewish wellbeing.”
“The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati stands with Yeshivas Lubavitch and with every Jewish family in this region,” said Danielle Minson, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. “What threatens one community in Cincinnati threatens all of us.”
Minson added that the Federation is coordinating with security partners and the school following the incident.
“If you witness or experience an antisemitic incident, report it,” she said. “We document every case.”
