Brooke Ashjian announces he is not running for re-election to the Fresno Unified School Board

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno Unified School Board Trustee Brooke Ashjian announced Wednesday he will not be seeking re-election. He was first elected to the board in November of 2014 and is the former Board President.

The embattled board member has faced controversy in the past with comments made in a Fresno Bee article where he suggested teaching LGBT relationships in school can sway a kid to that lifestyle. Ashjian insists he was misquoted. Many in the LGBT community called for his resignation.

A video also surfaced from a 2011 libel lawsuit which showed Ashjian being questioned for posting offensive comments about the gay community on a website called Ripoff Reports.

The anonymous posts were linked to his computer, but Ashjian claims he does not remember what he wrote.

Ashjian said he will be announcing his endorsement for his replacement in the coming months.

Ashjian's term is up at the end of the year.