Sunol Glen school election appears to solidify ouster of board member recalled over Pride flag ban

SUNOL — A former Sunol Glen Unified School District board member who was recalled from office over the summer appears headed toward defeat in his attempt to get his old seat back.

Ryan Jergensen was trailing opponent Erin Choin, with 41% of the vote in Tuesday’s election compared to Choin’s 59%, according to election results as of Thursday. Jergensen ran for reelection after voters in July ousted him and another board member, Linda Hurley, because of their efforts to ban Pride flags on school grounds.

If the results hold, Choin, a substitute teacher with children who attend Sunol Glen Elementary School, would join the three-member board alongside Ted Romo and Chris Bobertz. Romo was the sole member who did not face a recall this year, and Bobertz was appointed in September to fill Jergensen’s vacant position through 2026.

A petition to remove Bobertz after he was appointed later failed.

In the close recall election, 52% of voters supported the ouster of Jergensen and Hurley, with a 64% voter turnout in the tiny, one-school district with 828 registered voters.

The recall was the result of months of tense and testy school board meetings where residents clashed with Jergensen and Hurley over their support to ban all flags from being flown at Sunol Glen School ecept for “flags required by law” — the state of California and U.S. flags. Though the resolution didn’t specifically mention Pride flags, the resolution came just months after school officials flew the flag on school property.

Choin, Jergensen and Superintendent Shay Galletti did return requests for comment.

Kelly Goldsmith, an organizer with United for Sunol Glen which supported the July recall, called Choin’s lead over Jergensen “commanding.”

“We look forward ot the final count,” Goldsmith said in a statement. “We trust that the Sunol community who recalled Dr. Jergensen will prevent him from returning to the school board to maintain the calm, productive, efficient, respectful, and boring board meetings that we have all enjoyed since he and Hurley were removed from office. We know that Erin Choin will be an excellent addition to the school board; she is the trustee Sunol can trust.”