A Minnesota elementary school principal who once told a resident to take his “bigoted bullshit” off Facebook after the man expressed traditional views about sex and gender is now asking White Bear Lake voters to put him on their school board.
Ryan Vernosh, the current principal of Brimhall Elementary School in Roseville who has called “teaching for social justice” a professional passion, is running for one of four at-large seats on the White Bear Lake Area school board.
For some voters, Vernosh’s name may sound familiar.
Alpha News reported in 2021 that Vernosh became embroiled in controversy shortly after he was hired as principal at Brimhall when he clashed publicly on Facebook with Roseville resident Alan Holasek, who disagreed with a post encouraging children to use transgender pronouns.
During the exchange, Vernosh called Holasek’s views disparaging and bigoted.
When Holasek wrote that only two genders exist, Vernosh responded that he could not “be more factually wrong.”
“Sex isn’t even a binary,” Vernosh wrote.
The exchange eventually escalated further.
“I am going to post a few things for you to review and learn. If you can not bring yourself to do that, I would kindly ask you to take your bigoted bullshit off my timeline …” Vernosh told Holasek.
Holasek later addressed the Roseville school board and called for Vernosh’s removal.
The district said at the time that the matter had been referred to human resources and that “appropriate steps were taken” but declined to provide details because they involved personnel matters.
From Facebook debate to school board policy
Now, five years after Vernosh publicly weighed in on sex and gender as an educator, he is seeking a seat on a school board where he could help shape future policies and decisions addressing those very issues.
White Bear Lake Area Schools already has guidelines governing transgender and “gender-expansive” students, covering everything from bathrooms and locker rooms to pronouns, school records, athletics and parental notification.
The district allows students to use restrooms that correspond with their gender identity and says transgender and gender-expansive students generally should have access to locker rooms that align with their gender identity. Students cannot be required to use a single-user facility simply because they are transgender or gender-expansive.
Students may also ask staff and classmates to use names and pronouns that correspond with their gender identity without first obtaining a legal name or gender change.
The current guidelines do, however, explicitly protect parents’ access to information about their minor children. Staff may not refuse to tell parents if their child has requested a different name or pronouns or asked to use restrooms or locker rooms based on gender identity.
Students are not required to provide documentation or other “proof” that they are transgender or gender-expansive to receive the protections outlined in the guidelines.
Employees who refuse to comply with the guidelines can face disciplinary action, including termination. The district specifically identifies persistently refusing to use a student’s requested name or pronouns as an example.
Vernosh is no newcomer to Minnesota education.
He was named the 2010 Minnesota Teacher of the Year by the state’s teachers union while teaching in St. Paul Public Schools — an honor that later took him to the White House, where he was recognized alongside other state Teachers of the Year and photographed with then-President Barack Obama.
In 2021, Gov. Tim Walz appointed Vernosh to the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board as its principal representative.
Alpha News reached out to Vernosh for comment but did not receive a response.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
