Minnesota Affirms Denied Teaching License For Ex-Cop Who Killed Philando Castile

The #Minnesota Court of Appeals confirmed a decision that prevents Jeronimo Yanez, the ex-police officer who shot and killed #PhilandoCastile in 2016, from obtaining a teaching license in the state. The ruling supports a 2021 decision that rejected Yanez's application for short-call substitute teaching licensure, citing his "immoral character or conduct" as a key reason. 

Yanez, who was acquitted of manslaughter and reckless discharge charges in 2017, had initially applied for a teaching license in 2020 while teaching Spanish part-time at a private school. His appeal was based on arguments against the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board's (PELSB) use of an eight-factor fitness test and the association of his conduct as a police officer with the moral standards expected of teachers. 

The court's opinion emphasized that Yanez's actions as a police officer, including racial profiling and endangering lives, violated ethical standards for teachers. The decision also noted community concerns about Yanez's potential impact on students of color, echoing sentiments from Philando Castile's mother, Valerie Castile, regarding the comfort and trauma of children.

"The community knows about what he did and I don't think the kids would be comfortable even having him there," Castile said. "We have to think about our children's comfort levels. ... We have to think about those children and the trauma they suffered because of what he did."

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Link: CBSNews