A St. Paul high school teacher was docked 15 days’ pay for what a supervisor called “extremely poor professional judgment” in using his math class to discuss Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and his personal views on abortion, gay marriage and the Black Lives Matter protest movement.

Bruce Ringaman, a 50-year-old Como Park Senior High teacher, was placed on administrative leave Nov. 15 while the school district investigated a complaint against him. He’s been reassigned as a substitute teacher for the rest of the school year, according to district spokeswoman Toya Stewart Downey.

In response to a Pioneer Press records request, the district released a Dec. 6 discipline letter outlining the reasons for his suspension. According to the letter signed by assistant superintendent Theresa Battle, Ringaman on Nov. 14:

Showed all five of his classes a racy photo of Trump’s wife Melania with text describing Evangelical Republicans as hypocrites. He told a district investigator it was part of a lesson about making judgments without getting to know people.

Showed four classes a 33-second clip of several black men beating up a white man who they said was a Trump supporter. He acknowledged to an investigator that the photo and video were not appropriate for class.

Played the gospel song “Brother” by The Brilliance, saying it makes him think of Trump. He told an investigator he intended to show students that, in Battle’s words, “we do not have enemies and that we are all in this together.”

Had his second-period class make a list of bad things about Trump and Clinton on the class white board, telling students that, in Battle’s words, “if they need help thinking of bad things for Clinton, (he) could help them.” He said he voted for Trump and that Clinton and former president Bill Clinton were worse than Trump. He told an investigator that his intended message to students was that, in his words, “Given the crap choice, in my opinion, you have to vote for one.” He further acknowledged that, in Battle’s words, he “lectured to the students on these topics and did not encourage discussion or dialogue.”

Told students he is “pro-life” and that that’s one reason he voted for Trump.

Indicated to students that he did not support the Black Lives Matter movement.

Told his fourth-period class that he grew up in a mostly white school and was and still is afraid of African-Americans. He told the investigator: “I didn’t know them and so my images were or my beliefs, like any person, are by what they hear and see and I don’t believe our media does a good job portraying African-Americans and it has led to biases in my early childhood.” He further told the investigator that he is no more afraid of African-Americans than, in Battle’s words, “any other group that would use violence.”

Told students that as a Christian, he believes marriage is between a man and a woman.

Hired in 1998, Ringaman’s salary is $82,414. Besides the lost pay, he was ordered to complete Beyond Diversity training and refrain from “angry, sarcastic, condescending, rude or offensive behavior.”

In the letter, Battle said Ringaman’s conduct was “disruptive, disrespectful and offensive … and is completely unacceptable and unbecoming for a teacher.”

Ringaman is white. Battle said he created a “hostile learning environment” at Como, where 23 percent of students are white and 35 percent are black.

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Another Como teacher, Roy Magnuson, said Ringaman was discussing politics in a math class because Como is working to implement the principles of restorative practices this school year. Ringaman has sought to build respect and trust with students through weekly conversations, he said.

“It is possible in this case that it didn’t work as intended, but it’s going to be hard to ask teachers to take risks when the consequences for misspeaking, being misunderstood or taking a controversial viewpoint lead to what happened with Bruce,” Magnuson said.

The mother of one of Ringaman’s students told the Pioneer Press in November that the teacher also said blacks should go “back to Africa” and that he supports building a wall on the border with Mexico. The discipline letter did not address those claims, and Stewart Downey said any allegations not included in the letter are private under state law.