Man charged with making threat to Fremont-Mills School Board member

(Tabor) – A south-central Iowa man is in custody on a felony charge for allegedly threatening a Fremont-Mills School Board member.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says deputies received a report of a threat to a board member on August 19th prior to a vote scheduled for that evening’s school board meeting. Authorities say the victim received a call from a blocked or private number, and the caller threatened the victim to vote a certain way or face consequences, including a threat of violence.

Deputies were able to determine the call came from 52-year-old Eric Ballanger of Russell. Ballanger was arrested Friday by Wayne County deputies without incident. Authorities say they examined his phone and found he made a second call to another board member that went unanswered and that he had viewed a social media post concerning the upcoming vote.

Ballanger is charged with threat of terrorism – a Class D felony. He was released from the Fremont County Jail on $5,000 bond.

The alleged vote concerned approving the contract of Ace Rios as the school’s band instructor. The board voted 2-2 with one member abstaining, meaning the motion was defeated.