The Minnesota Court of Appeals has upheld the decision of the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board. They found that Jeronimo Yanez does not meet the moral standards necessary to teach in public schools.
In 2022, the court remanded the case to the licensing board for reconsideration of Yanez’s teaching license application. Initially, the board rejected the application citing “immoral character or conduct.” However, the court deemed this reason to be unconstitutionally vague. Instead, the court instructed the board to evaluate whether Yanez’s conduct rendered him unfit to teach, narrowing the focus of their assessment.
After that, the board proceeded with additional hearings and once again rejected his application.
During a routine traffic stop, Philando Castile, a 32-year-old St. Paul elementary school cafeteria worker, was shot by former St. Anthony police officer, Yanez. The incident occurred after Castile disclosed that he had a gun, which he had a legal permit for. The aftermath of the shooting gained significant attention when Castile’s girlfriend, who was present in the car with her young daughter, livestreamed the incident on Facebook.
Yanez was found not guilty of manslaughter. The death of Castile, which happened before the killing of George Floyd, a Black man whose death by a white Minneapolis police officer in 2020 ignited a national conversation on race, sparked widespread public outrage and protests in Minnesota and beyond. Following his trial, Yanez left law enforcement and later took up part-time teaching of Spanish at a parochial school.
The board reached a decision to re-evaluate Yanez’s license application. They determined that Yanez had racially profiled Castile when he stopped him, suspecting him of being involved in a robbery. The board also expressed concern over Yanez’s decision to fire seven shots into the car, which not only resulted in Castile’s death but also put the lives of his girlfriend and her daughter at risk.
The board determined that those actions went against the provisions of the ethics code for Minnesota teachers, which aim to promote non-discrimination, fair disciplinary practices, and the protection of students from harm.
According to the appeals court, Dr. Gothard expressed concerns about Yanez’s suitability to address the ethical needs of a diverse student population. Dr. Gothard also suggested that having Yanez as a teacher in a Minnesota classroom could potentially retraumatize students, staff, and families.
According to Yanez’s attorney, Robert Fowler, the board does not possess the necessary expertise in policing matters to make a determination on whether Yanez should be permitted to teach.
“The licensing board selectively chose its findings to draw biased conclusions,” Fowler expressed in an email. “Regrettably, the court declined to address these complex political matters and simply endorsed the agency’s decision without question. This entire case serves as additional evidence that matters pertaining to law enforcement cannot be resolved in a fair and impartial manner.”
According to the attorney, Yanez is still employed as a teacher at the parochial school.
