California School District President Rules Only The American Flag Can Fly In Classrooms, He And His Family Get Death Threats

SUNOL, Calif. - The board president of the Sunol Glen Unified School District filed a restraining order against a woman alleging she harassed and made threats against him and his family following the board’s recent decision to ban special-interest flags on school property.

Ryan Jergensen was one of two board members who voted nearly three weeks ago in favor of only allowing the United States and California flags to be displayed on campus. The move angered the LGBTQ+ community and their supporters to the point that sheriff’s deputies were called in to end the chaotic meeting.

"People are threatening me, my wife and my children, threatening our lives in multiple emails," said Jergensen in his first interview since the controversial policy passed. "That is unacceptable. I will not stand for that."

In the weeks that followed the decision, Jergensen said he has received a handful of hateful comments and death threats by email and on social media.

"I will not roll over to these bullies, to these deranged individuals who are inciting anger and violence," he said. "The U.S. flag is the most inclusive flag there is in the world. It stands for freedom, it stands for liberty, it stands for one nation – together, indivisible. And there is not one student in our school that is not represented by that flag."

Jergensen said the woman he filed the restraining order against wrote a post alleging he and another board member belong to a hate group. That sparked emails and more posts threatening their lives, he said.