Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) failed to pass a gender-neutral bathroom policy during its special meeting on Tuesday night.
The board tied 2-2 in their vote on the policy, which would have established single-stall, gender-neutral bathrooms or provided designated employee restrooms for students unwilling or unable to use a multi-occupancy restroom. The bathroom policy came about after allegations that some SUSD schools were allowing restroom access based on gender identity and not biological gender.
Board member Amy Carney and Vice President Carine Werner voted for the policy, while board members Libby Hart-Wells and Zach Lindsay voted against it. Board President Julie Cieniawski wasn’t present at the meeting, so she didn’t vote.
Hart-Wells said that the “how” and “why” of the policy were problematic: the cost and the implementation. Hart-Wells said that available district data proved that site administrators were already handling the .001 percent of student requests for bathroom accommodations.
In closing, Hart-Wells indicated that some parents were the greater danger to children, but didn’t expand further.
“The proposal puts forth a bastardization of parent’s rights at the very expense of the very students’ rights that this proposal purports to support. The operational reality of this proposal can — whether intended or not — put some children in harm’s way. And yes, tragically, that harm can come from the home,” said Hart-Wells. “This proposal, in my view, does not represent healthy governance.”
Werner responded that supportive parents have indicated to her that it was about the children, not about the adults.
Werner requested the new policy. The proposed financial impact would’ve been about $70,000 total: five restrooms per school, with each restroom estimated to cost $500 each.
“I’m certain that kids’ academic achievement is affected when they feel like they can’t use the restroom,” said Werner.
Some parent and community activists expressed grievance over the rejection of the policy.
The SUSD bathroom accommodation policy failed in a 2-2 vote last night, with Hart-Wells claiming that involving parents hurts students' rights and puts children in harm's way. https://t.co/WcALn8dCfvpic.twitter.com/bMQiIWvNJY
— Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity (@ScottsdaleUnite) October 25, 2023
Over the summer, Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed legislation similar to SUSD’s failed policy. The bill, SB1040, would have required students to have the option to access a single-occupancy or employee restroom or changing facility.
Hobbs declared that such accommodations were discrimination against LGBTQ+-identifying minors.
“SB 1040 is yet another discriminatory act against LGBTQ+ youth passed by the majority at the state legislature. [I] will veto every bill that aims to attack and harm children,” said Hobbs.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Border Patrol agents are reporting encounters and apprehensions of large groups of hundreds of single adult illegal immigrants from across the globe.
Over the weekend and within a span of three hours, Tucson Sector agents apprehended two groups totaling 303 migrants representing 18 different countries. Most were single adults, and appeared to be males.
Tucson Sector remains busy and continues to encounter large groups of migrants crossing the border illegally. Within three hours, Ajo Station agents encountered two groups totaling 303 migrants west of Lukeville, AZ, Tuesday. Most were single adults from 18 different countries. pic.twitter.com/nvqh6w6hFQ
Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens reported the apprehension of seven felons over the weekend. The men involved had criminal pasts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, lewd acts with a child, mayhem or rape and burglary, assault with a weapon, alien smuggling, domestic violence, and possession or intent to deliver drugs.
This past weekend, USBP agents apprehended 7 dangerous felons.
Their criminal histories: -Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child -Lewd Acts w/ Child -Mayhem/Rape & Burglary -Assault w/weapon -Alien smuggling -Domestic Violence -Possession/Intent to deliver a controlled substance pic.twitter.com/HcSClg9go3
The Hamas attack on Israel and ongoing conflict may or already has caused further strain on the border crisis. The Daily Caller obtained an internal Customs and Border Protection (CBP) memo dated Oct. 20 warning of a potential increase of budding or active terrorists aligned with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, or Hezbollah crossing the southern border.
“San Diego Field Office Intelligence Unit assesses that individuals inspired by, or reacting to the current Israel-Hamas conflict may attempt travel to or from the area of hostilities in the Middle East via circuitous transit across the Southwest border,” said the memo. “Foreign fighters motivated by ideology or mercenary soldiers of fortune may attempt to obfuscate travel to or from the US to or from countries in the Middle East through Mexico.”
🚨🚨🚨We MUST secure the border NOW – it is a matter of national security! https://t.co/dnFhw9SEO4
For the 2023 fiscal year (October 2022 through September) there were over 2 million illegal immigrants encountered at the southern border. That included a 27 percent increase in criminal or wanted illegal immigrants by Border Patrol: over 15,200 this year so far, compared to over 12,000 last year. Of those, nearly 1,000 had outstanding arrest wants or warrants.
That also includes an 18.6 percent increase in criminal or wanted illegal immigrants by the Office of Field Operations (OFO): over 20,100 so far this year, up from nearly 17,000 last year and 6,500 in 2021. This year’s total is nearly double that of the average Trump administration OFO year.
Recidivism has increased from 7 percent in fiscal year 2019 to 26 percent in fiscal year 2020 and 27 percent in fiscal year 2021.
There were also 169 FBI terror watchlist individuals encountered at the southern border for the 2023 fiscal year, nearly doubling last year’s record of 98 and greater than the previous six fiscal years combined.
These numbers are likely a significant undercount. There have been around two million gotaways over the past two years of the Biden administration. Gotaways refer to those detected but not encountered or apprehended.
Owens revealed that there were at least over 18,000 known gotaways in the first 16 days of this fiscal year (2024, which runs from this October through next September).
“These are individuals whose identities & purpose we do not know,” said Owens. “That is why you need every Border Patrol agent to be in the field and on patrol.”
Over 18K known gotaways in the first 16 days of FY24. These are individuals whose identities & purpose we do not know. That is why you need every Border Patrol agent to be in the field and on patrol. pic.twitter.com/uQlRgR76HQ
Attorney General Kris Mayes’ official name plaque reads “Landslide Mayes”: a tease of her win last year over opponent Abe Hamadeh.
In a video commemorating the two-year mark of former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods’ passing, Mayes revealed she uses his desk and hoped her legacy would be comparable to his. The video opened with a shot of her desk, with her name plaque reading “Landslide Mayes,” rather than her name.
“If you were to ask me what AG in the past do you consider yourself most like?’ I hope at the end of this people say I was most like Grant Woods, and I work off the premise that he did this job better than anybody ever has,” said Mayes.
It’s been two years since we lost former Attorney General Grant Woods — a good friend and an inspiration. It’s an honor to sit at his desk every day. pic.twitter.com/ttCjtXKQx4
Mayes’ tease about not being a “landslide” winner refers to her slim victory margin; critics, including her opponent, have argued that this margin is inaccurate due to the myriad problems experienced by voters leading up to and on Election Day. Hamadeh maintains that Mayes’ 280-vote margin with which she claimed victory last November — which was nearly halved following a recount — would disappear following the inclusion of the thousands of allegedly uncounted, valid provisional votes.
Earlier this month, the Arizona Supreme Court rejected Hamadeh’s appeal and ordered him to pay over $40,000 in legal fees to Mayes. Following the ruling, Hamadeh announced his bid to take over for retiring Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08).
Woods served as Arizona’s attorney general from 1991-1999. Although registered as a Republican, Woods stood out for his opposition to virtually all positions taken by the Republican Party. Woods worked against the GOP opposition to the statewide recognition of the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, and support for both the English-only initiative and the Chandler roundup.
Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) honored Woods for his work in 2011. In a video highlighting his work, Woods said he would reach beyond his authority to take political action.
“Even though it wasn’t my jurisdiction, I definitely stuck my nose into that one [the Chandler roundup], and we stopped it,” said Woods.
The Chandler roundup, formally known as “Operation Restoration,” was a mass arrest of hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants from July 27 to 31 of 1997. Patrolling officers would arrest any Hispanic individual they stopped who couldn’t provide proof of citizenship. A total of 432 illegal immigrants were deported.
Woods also fought against the state legislature’s bill enabling law enforcement to ask individuals for proof of citizenship and investigate immigration status if illegal immigration is suspected: SB1070. The Supreme Court upheld the law in 2012 in part, striking down other provisions enabling police to arrest without a warrant on suspicion of illegal immigration, criminal charges for immigrants failing to carry federal registration papers, and criminal charges for immigrants seeking or accepting work without authorization.
“I know from being a native Arizonan that our Mexican heritage is part of what it means to be Arizonan, and somehow that’s been perverted,” said Woods.
Under the first year of the Biden administration, Woods denied the reality of the border crisis — going further than even Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ).
We don’t need our Democratic Senators-either one of them—stoking the fake “crisis” at the border. It’s a cynical Republican ploy trotted out when convenient. Time would be better spent on actually helping solve the problem. Bad take on a great speech. https://t.co/BEDavSDvIj
Woods also supported abortion, decrying former Gov. Doug Ducey for signing onto a 2021 petition to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“I was elected statewide twice as a pro-choice Republican,” said Woods. “There [are] a lot of Arizonans who don’t want the government interfering in the most personal decisions between a woman and her doctor.”
That’s sad. The fight for choice continues. I was elected statewide twice as a pro-choice Republican. There a lot of Arizonans who don’t want the government interfering in the most personal decisions between a woman and her doctor. https://t.co/Q3WhubJqvl
Prior to serving as attorney general, Woods was late Sen. John McCain’s chief of staff when he was a congressman, and endorsed both Democratic presidential candidates in the last two elections: Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020.
@Hillary Clinton is the most qualified nominee ever. Trump's the least qualified. Stakes are too high to be on the sidelines. I'm w/Hillary.
The nation’s second-largest teachers union, American Federation for Teachers (AFT), awarded its Arizona chapter an undisclosed cut of $1 million to end school choice and fight climate change in classrooms last Friday.
The AFT funding was part of its Powerful Partnerships Institute (PPI) initiative Real Solutions for Kids and Communities campaign, which aims to boost grassroots efforts that “rejects the culture wars and the toxic attacks against teachers” while making “real solutions for kids.” AFT PPI issued $1 million total in funds to 38 AFT state and local affiliates.
“The Arizona Federation of Teachers will work with partners in immigrant and Latinx [sic] communities to increase culturally relevant books and curricula in classrooms,” stated the AFT Arizona initiative snapshot. “Together, they will push back against the privatization of public education through vouchers and charters [sic] schools.”
In April, BASIS Tucson North became the first charter school in the state to unionize with AFT. They declared themselves a branch of AFT Arizona: the Arizona Federation of Teachers Arizona Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff (AFT-AZACTS).
In a press release, AFT noted that this year’s funds would also go toward “tackl[ing] climate readiness in school buildings” to make them safer for learning. AFT President Randi Weingarten rejected the notion that student success hinged on prevailing culture war issues, calling proponents “extremists” that haven’t offered solutions.
“It’s these programs—not book bans, censoring history and demonizing teachers—that will help young people succeed. As extremists try to divide Americans, attempting to destroy public schools and the opportunity that brings, we know that public schools unite us—it’s why 90 percent of parents send their children to public school,” said Weingarten. “The ruthless and brutal attacks on teachers and schools are in clear contrast to the reality that educators work every day to help students get and stay on track and thrive. While we are promoting and investing in real solutions, the other side hasn’t offered a single suggestion to meet the needs of kids or families.”
This $1 million made up the second year of the PPI funding initiative.
The AFT Arizona president, Ralph Quintana, has consistently opposed the state’s school choice program over the years. In a 2019 statement expressing dissatisfaction with the state legislature’s funding for public education, Quintana said that low funding to public education was the only reason that the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program was a preferred option for parents.
“We must stop the flow of public tax dollars to the privatization of education around the country,” said Quintana. “Perhaps, if ALL state leaders were actually properly funding our public schools there would be NO NEED for ESA vouchers.”
AFT-AZ Pres. Ralph Quintana said in a statement, “We must stop the flow of public tax dollars to the privatization of education around the country. Perhaps, if ALL state leaders were actually properly funding our public schools there would be NO NEED for ESA vouchers.”
The term “family friendly” has come to include public displays of genitalia, according to the Phoenix Mayor’s take on the latest city-sponsored Pride Festival over the weekend.
Gays Against Groomers, an activist group against promoting LGBTQ+ ideology in children, posted about the inflatable penis costume’s inclusion in the Pride Festival parade. The organization also reported individuals in the nude and in fetish costumes, along with the public display of “condom bars.”
Yesterday at Phoenix's Pride parade there was a literal penis marching in the festivities. Of course the event was marketed as "family friendly." There were hundreds of children in attendance, as our team on the ground witnessed.
Gallego also issued a proclamation declaring a weekend-long festivity of Pride and urged all to celebrate.
“We want to be a city that supports everyone, and I am so pleased to have a great city council that is right there with me,” said Gallego. “I’m going to ask the entire city of Phoenix to celebrate Pride this weekend.”
Gallego’s proclamation appears to conflict with city policy, which states that mayoral proclamations “must not take sides in matters of political, ideological, or religious controversy, or individual convictions.”
The city also served as the Grand Marshal of the parade. Councilmembers Laura Pastor and Debra Stark represented the city’s Fast-Track Cities initiative, which seeks to eliminate HIV/AIDS and discrimination against the sexually-transmitted disease.
Phoenix, what a way to show your PRIDE! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
I had the honor of attending this year’s Phoenix Pride Parade as a Grand Marshal, representing @cityofphoenixaz Fast-Track Cities with Councilwoman @debrastarkphx.
Also present and supportive of the festival were Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Gov. Katie Hobbs.
“Phoenix Pride is a powerful reminder that love unites us all,” said Hobbs in an X post (formerly known as Twitter).
Phoenix Pride is a powerful reminder that love unites us all. Joining last night’s festivities & celebrating the light of the LGBTQ+ community strengthened my commitment to building an Arizona for everyone. #phxPridepic.twitter.com/PW5u6LAHoI
Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity (SUEI), a coalition of parents and community members, accused educators promoting Pride materials of sexualizing children under the guise of inclusivity.
“Teachers who are pushing sexual content in schools and hanging pride flags in classrooms are not ‘inclusive.’ They are sexualizing children,” stated SUEI.
Teachers who are pushing sexual content in schools and hanging pride flags in classrooms are not "inclusive." They are sexualizing children. https://t.co/4Cdsexv7Uf
— Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity (@ScottsdaleUnite) October 23, 2023
One of the other main festival events was the Erotic World tent; unlike the parade, that event was marketed as closed to adults.
One of the festival sponsors was Castle Megastore, the Tempe-based sex toy store chain.
Other sponsors of the Pride Festival included Albertsons and Safeway, Amazon, APS, The Arizona Republic, the Arizona Lottery, Bank of America, Banner Health, BlueCross BlueShield Arizona, Bud Light, Circle K, Coca-Cola, Corona, Cox, CVS, Discover, DriveTime, Edward Jones, El Jimador Tequila, GoDaddy, Greater Phoenix Equality Chamber of Commerce, Intel, Jack Daniels, Leslie’s pool service, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Nascar, Nationwide, PetSmart, Phoenix New Times, Phoenix Suns, ShakeShack, Snooze, SRP, Starbucks, Target, Univision Arizona, Walmart, and Waymo.
Gilbert’s fire and police departments also made an appearance at this year’s Pride Festival parade, despite controversy last year over whether they misused taxpayer funds to attend last year’s parade.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
