Iowa man charged with terrorism threat after allegedly calling school board before transgender teacher vote

FREMONT COUNTY, Iowa — An Iowa man faces a terrorism threat charge after he allegedly called a school board member and threatened violence if the member did not vote a certain way at a meeting where the board ultimately voted to block the hiring of a transgender music teacher.

Eric Ballanger, 52, of Russell, Iowa, was charged with Threat of Terrorism, a Class D felony under Iowa Code § 708A.5.

The Fremont-Mills Community School District school board voted on Aug. 20, 2026, on whether to hire Ace Rios, a transgender male who had accepted a job offer in July to teach music at Fremont-Mills High School in Tabor, Iowa.

Two members voted to hire Rios and two voted against, with one member absent. Under board rules, a tie vote fails.

Rios said the district superintendent and secondary principal told him he would not be able to start teaching at the school that year.

Rios said he believes his gender identity was the reason he was denied the job.

"I am extremely qualified to be here but I am being discriminated against because of the way that I look and my life outside of here," Rios said.

Watch: Music teacher says school board denied him a job because he is transgender

Rios previously worked as a substitute teacher at Omaha Public Schools and said he viewed the Fremont-Mills position as the next step in his career.

"Unfortunately I live this every day and it was a concern I did not think it would be a concern to this extent considering I had received a job offer and I had support from the school staff and everything," Rios said.

Rios said the experience would have had a broader impact beyond his own career.

"I was kicked out of my house at 16 due to this actually it would have been extremely positive to see an educator like myself in the field at an early age," Rios said.

Multiple teachers told KMTV they worry about what message the board's decision sends to LGBTQ students.

Rios said he plans to bring in legal counsel on the matter.

The board president did not respond to a request for comment. The superintendent declined an interview request, saying the district does not comment on personnel matters.

On Aug. 19, 2026 — the day before the vote — the Fremont County Sheriff's Office received a report of a threat allegedly made against a Fremont-Mills School Board member ahead of that evening's scheduled meeting. The Sheriff's Office School Resource Officer investigated the incident.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim received a telephone call from a blocked or private number.

During the call, the caller allegedly threatened the victim and told the victim to vote a certain way during the upcoming school board meeting or face consequences, including a threat of violence.

Deputies determined that the telephone number used to place the call was associated with Ballanger.

An arrest warrant was issued, and on Aug. 28, 2026, Ballanger was arrested without incident by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and transported to the Fremont County Sheriff's Office.

Following his arrest, investigators conducted a forensic examination of Ballanger's cellphone.

"The examination showed that a blocked or private call was placed to the school board member on the morning of Aug. 19," a statement from the Fremont County Sheriff's Office read. "It also showed a second blocked or private call placed to another Fremont-Mills School Board member that same morning. The second call was not answered."

Deputies said they also found out Ballanger had viewed a social media post about the upcoming school board vote earlier that morning.

Ballanger was released from the Fremont County Sheriff's Office on Aug. 28, 2026, after posting a $5,000 surety bond.