The Arizona State Board of Education (ASBE) revealed in its latest enforcement action report that sexual misconduct cases involving teachers increased.
ASBE did note that, out of the hundreds of thousands of educators serving nearly 1.5 million students in public schools across the state, 98 percent of the education workforce didn’t appear in a disciplinary action (97 percent of certificated personnel and 99 percent of non-certificated personnel).
“These findings reinforce that Board discipline remains uncommon relative to the size of Arizona’s education workforce and affects only a small fraction of persons working in Arizona schools,” stated ASBE.
The findings of the ASBE report were limited to adjudicated cases, and excluded those pending or active cases.
Multiple steps must take place prior to any enforcement action occurring. ASBE’s Investigation Unit intakes a report, then investigators work in parallel with law enforcement investigators to review the report. The board then adjudicates the case through several avenues offered to the respondent prior to taking a vote.
Per ASBE data of adjudicated cases, the number of sexual misconduct cases increased by 40 percent over the last two years: there were 94 cases in 2024 and 133 cases in 2025.
In other words, about one-third of the cases that ASBE adjudicated in 2025 (about 380) were related to sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct cases represented 30 percent of the total cases adjudicated in 2025.
Those findings were consistent with the totals for cases adjudicated from 2016 to 2025. 34 percent of all cases over that time were sexual misconduct cases.
📢2025 AZ Teacher Discipline Report presented to SBE today: ▶️Sexual misconduct: 133 cases, up from 94 prior year, 30% of total ▶️Assault cases – continues 2-year spike – 203 cases (53%) in 2025, up from 143 cases last year. From 2016-25, sexual misconduct still #1 reason 1/n pic.twitter.com/iiQJBwh7sZ
— TheLegalProcess (v3.0 | Instruction Not Therapy) (@ALegalProcess) June 22, 2026
ASBE reported that 670 cases involving sexual offenses occurred from 2016 to 2025.
ASBE stated in its report that it continues to prioritize the investigation of sexual misconduct allegations due to impacts to student safety.
The total cases adjudicated by ASBE in 2025 exceeded the board’s forecasting by about 60 cases.
ASBE said the increased number of cases reflected investments by the state to strengthen ASBE’s educator discipline system by increasing investigation and adjudication resources.
Approximately half of all reports to ASBE came from school officials, followed by less than one-quarter from the Department of Public Safety fingerprint clearance cards.
Applications and records from the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification made up seven percent of reports; parents and statements of allegations made up four percent of reports; news media made up five percent of reports; and State Board of Education or another state made up five percent of reports.
Assault cases also increased: there were 42 percent more cases in 2025 (203) compared to 2024 (143).
53 percent of total cases adjudicated were assault cases.
Substance use, fraud, and breaches of contract collectively made up 17 percent of total cases adjudicated.
“Despite year-to-year fluctuations, sexual misconduct and assaultive behaviors consistently comprise the majority of cases reviewed by the board,” stated the report.
The report also noted that sexual misconduct and assaultive behaviors shared historically similar rates of occurrence, however assault-related cases increased dramatically from 2023 to 2025.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
State Rep. Alma Hernandez (D-LD20) spoke out against top Democrats for endorsing her primary opponent for the state senate seat, Rocque Perez.
Hernandez said Perez’s history of posting pornography and violent rhetoric online were antithetical to the values of the Democratic Party following an announcement that Rep. Adelita Grijalva and Tucson Mayor Regina Romero had endorsed Perez.
“I have proudly delivered for my district for the last eight years. If these women want to support a flawed candidate who posted his porn and violent political rhetoric online[…] good luck explaining that to voters,” said Hernandez. “I have won four terms without their support and will continue to do so!”
I have proudly delivered for my district for the last 8 years. If these women want to support a flawed candidate who posted his porn & violent political rhetoric online. Good luck explaining that to voters. I have won 4 terms without their support and will continue to do so! https://t.co/0K6xBhRlne
— (((Rep.Alma Hernandez))) (@almaforarizona) June 17, 2026
As reported previously, Perez advocated for the murder of conservatives and Republicans in posts to one of his accounts on X (at the time, Twitter). Perez advised a friend to “kill” her family members as her “duty,” and called on the public to “throw [Ivanka Trump] off the capitol building roof.”
In reference to a classmate: “This vapid white girl is defending Trump[’s] response to COVID in my Zoom public relations class, do I end her or do I end her.”
In reference to assaulting President Donald Trump: “Honestly I would take one for the team and knock him out if I could.”
In reference to conservative activist and pundit Kaitlin Bennett: “How has she not gotten beat yet? Like… hath no one the bravery to literally hurt her cause…?”
In reference to the 2020 election: “Roses are red, violets are blue, vote for Joe Biden, or I’ll cut you.”
On another X account around the same time, @localanthony, pornographic videos were posted publicly which allegedly featured Perez promoting a similarly-named OnlyFans account, That Local Boy. The profile picture for that account appeared to be a mirror selfie of Perez.
Perez denied to media outlets that he posted the pornographic content, but refused to confirm or deny whether the content belonged to him.
One post that appeared to have come from Perez on the pornographic X account claimed engagement in sexual activities with an unnamed professor and later being solicited by that professor’s husband.
In another post from March 2021, the account owner claimed to have masturbated while at work at the University of Arizona. Perez was employed as the University of Arizona’s marketing and communications strategist at the time.
“Guys I’m so horny I might jerk off somewhere at work, stay tuned,” posted Perez. “Update: loads of bro butter at work.”
At least one minor engaged with this pornographic account allegedly belonging to Perez, the California Globereported.
Following widespread reporting, the porn-focused account apparently associated with Perez has been excluded from the web archiving services where it was previously available to the public.
It appears Grijalva and Romero chose to endorse Perez over Hernandez based on their past ties with him.
Perez was the executive director for Grijalva’s nonprofit, the Metropolitan Education Commission, which makes recommendations for Pima County’s K-12 education.
Last year, Perez served for six months as an appointed member of the Tucson City Council representing Ward 5.
Other Democrats have spurned Hernandez for her shows of bipartisanship in the legislature.
LD20 Democrats issued a public statement condemning Hernandez, though they stopped short of censoring her.
Perez was also on the board of directors of the now-defunct Tucson Pride, once the state’s oldest pride organization.
Perez platforms himself as both a fourth-generation Arizonan and the son of an undocumented woman from Mexico.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
Arizona now has a stricter law on underage nicotine sales.
House Bill 4001 establishes stricter statewide standards for alternative nicotine products. One major point of the law is a new prohibition on these products from being packaged in ways intended to appeal to minors, such as designs that resemble toys, food, or electronics.
Specifically, alternative nicotine products may not be associated with a cartoon-like fictional character mimicking a character primarily aimed at entertaining; imitation or mimicry of a trademark or trade dress of a product primarily marketed to minors; a symbol primarily used to market products to minors; a celebrity’s name or image; a product shape or design meant to disguise appearance, such as a school or office supply, smart phone, smart watch, smart phone or smart watch case, headphones, ear buds, clothing item, backpack, cosmetic or cosmetic container, toy, video game device, or food or beverage product.
The law defines “alternative nicotine products” as any noncombustile produce containing nicotine intended for human consumption, which includes chewing, absorption, dissolution, ingestion, or inhaling.
Any violation of the marketing restrictions on alternative nicotine products would incur a class 3 misdemeanor.
The law also imposed a tiered punishment system for those who sell alternative nicotine products to underage individuals. The punishments for a first offense include fines ranging between $500 and $750, and required completion of a court-approved tobacco retailer educational course. Those who continue to sell to underage individuals must also complete a court-approved tobacco retailer educational course, but face increasing prohibition periods on the sale of alternative nicotine products up to one year, increasing fines up to $10,000, and increasing criminal charges up to a class 5 felony.
Republican Rep. Jeff Weninger (LD13), the bill sponsor, said in a press release that nicotine companies shouldn’t be looking for ways to entice children to their products, and that businesses have a duty to ensure their customers are of age.
“Nicotine products should not be designing products that look like toys or marketing them in ways that appeal to high school students,” said Weninger. “If you are selling nicotine products to minors, Arizona is no longer going to look the other way.”
Additionally, the law increased age-verification requirements and penalties for anyone who sells nicotine products to underage individuals.
Similar to alcohol, the state prohibits the sale of nicotine products to individuals under the age of 21. The minimum age was raised from 18 to 21 last year in order to conform with federal regulations amended in 2019. Active military personnel who are at least 18 years of age are exempted from this minimum age requirement.
Arizona will also require alternative nicotine product manufacturers or distributors to obtain licensure from the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control (DLLC) beginning in 2028.
DLLC estimated that the cost to hire the new personnel necessary to ensure enforcement of this new law would amount to about $3.6 million annually, though the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) disclosed that it couldn’t validate that cost assessment. JLBC’s assessment of the law’s fiscal impact advised that licensure revenues were indeterminable since the law didn’t establish specific license fees.
Those who distribute alternative nicotine products without a license run the risk of earning a class 5 felony, which results in a mandatory $10,000 fine, prohibition on the sale or distribution of alternative nicotine products for one year, and any other punishments deemed appropriate by a court.
Gov. Katie Hobbs signed the legislation into law earlier this month.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes appears to lack basic knowledge of state law.
Mayes claimed in a post that recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program are currently eligible to serve in law enforcement in Arizona.
“DACA recipients are police officers, firefighters, nurses and small business owners in Arizona,” said Mayes.
News flash Warren: DACA recipients are police officers, firefighters, nurses and small business owners in Arizona. And you just announced to the world that you think they are criminals and should be deported. Disqualifying https://t.co/B9b50rNztI
DACA recipients aren’t American citizens. Rather, they’re individuals who arrived illegally in the country as minors and were granted delayed deportation under the DACA program created by former President Barack Obama.
DACA recipients must renew their status every two years. Recipients are disqualified from renewal if they have committed a felony, significant misdemeanor, three or more misdemeanors, and/or otherwise posed a threat to national security or public safety.
Arizona law prohibits illegal aliens and other noncitizens from joining law enforcement.
“Notwithstanding any other law, the qualifications [for peace officers] shall require United States citizenship[,]” states the law.
Mayes provided the erroneous representation of state law in response to a Republican attorney general candidate looking to unseat her, Senate President Warren Petersen (LD14). Mayes called Petersen’s belief in deportation for all illegal aliens, including those awarded DACA status, “disgusting.”
Petersen had criticized Mayes for celebrating the creation of the DACA program.
“[Mayes] is fighting to protect illegals. I will keep our border secure and will work with the federal government to deport everyone who enters this country illegally,” said Petersen. “We welcome everyone who comes here legally and abides by the law. But be ready to be deported or prosecuted if you don’t.”
Even those DACA recipients who violate the law may not face deportation as the DACA program rules require, due to Democratic elected officials intervening on their behalf.
In recent months, Rep. Adelita Grijalva and Pima County Attorney Laura Conover have fought to prevent the deportation of one DACA recipient, 32-year-old Jessica Marlene Corrales-Duarte, detained by ICE following her arrest for stealing approximately $5,500 worth of products from an Ulta Beauty in Tucson. That level of theft qualifies as a felony.
Conover told KOLD that Corrales-Duarte should be allowed to enter a diversion program and remain in the country. Grijalva called the theft a minor offense.
“Although that amount is higher than most of our organized retail theft cases, generally speaking, a person with no criminal history would and should be afforded an opportunity to enter a diversion program whereby they work steadily to repay what is owed and learn how to never end up involved in the criminal justice system again,” said Conover.
Multiple federal courts have ruled the DACA program to be unlawful. As a result, the Department of Homeland Security is prohibited from granting new admissions to the DACA program. However, those who obtained DACA on or before July 16, 2021 may keep their DACA status provided that they meet renewal eligibility.
Federal law enforcement revealed this week that a DACA recipient, Abraham Alvarez, 31, was the ringleader of the foiled terror plot to assassinate elected officials and other American citizens attending the UFC Freedom 250 fight at the White House on President Donald Trump’s birthday over the weekend.
Alvarez, an illegal alien from Mexico, overstayed a 2001 tourist visa with his family by more than a decade before he received DACA status in 2014. Alvarez was apprehended in his state of residence, Nebraska. His DACA status was revoked following his arrest for the domestic terror plot.
Four other men — American citizens residing in California, Missouri, and Ohio — were arrested for the terror plot along with Alvarez.
It is estimated that more than 825,000 individuals who entered the country illegally as minors were enrolled in the DACA program.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
The Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) will implement a new child safety reform set to be codified until Gov. Katie Hobbs’ office intervened.
Sen. Carine Werner (R-LD4) had championed the legislation that prompted the new policy, SB 1175. It passed the legislature with bipartisan support earlier this month.
The legislation would have required DCS caseworkers to photograph children during abuse and neglect investigations, followed by a review of those images when evaluating the safety and well-being of those children. Specifically, the legislation would have required caseworkers to consider any decline in a child’s appearance or health.
DCS leadership announced it would voluntarily adopt the requirements as policy.
SB 1175 was part of a legislative package of bipartisan reform bills to improve DCS handling of reports of abuse. The reforms were prompted by high-profile child abuse cases in which prior DCS involvement failed to prevent deaths, including 10-year-old Rebekah Baptiste, 14-year-old Emily Pike, and 16-year-old Zariah Dodd.
At Werner’s urging early last year following Pike’s death in 2024, Arizona lawmakers launched an investigation into DCS for systemic failure. The subsequent deaths of Baptiste and Dodd further compelled lawmakers to take expedited action.
At the time, Werner said the failures of the state had too great of consequences to be ignored.
“These tragedies make it painfully clear that when our child protection systems — both state and tribal — fail, the consequences can be horrific,” said Werner.
Werner said in a press release issued last week that Hobbs’ office attempted to require SB 1175 to have legislative appropriation. Werner and legislative staff disagreed with the assessment from Hobbs’ office, citing an estimated implementation cost low enough to be absorbed within the existing DCS budget: $50,000. Hobbs’ office refused to relent on their request, and the House opted to recall the statutory route and instead relied on DCS to implement it through policy.
Summaries of SB 1175 noted that the new DCS requirements would have no anticipated fiscal impact to the state general fund.
DCS Director Kathryn Ptak said the legislation-turned-policy was a “commonsense solution” for keeping children safe while in DCS care.
“I will be issuing a directive to our staff to guarantee each child in our care has an updated photograph to help us maintain accurate records and respond quickly in any situation where a child’s safety or whereabouts need to be confirmed, while continuing conversations around this topic,” said Ptak. “We are grateful to Senator Werner for her partnership in advancing bills that help keep children safe, while also balancing the privacy needs of families.”
Werner said the legislation was a fulfillment of government responsibility to respond to those tragedies that occur despite oversight, especially when it comes to children entrusted to a state system.
“Children cannot afford for warning signs to be missed. If something as simple as maintaining and reviewing photographs helps a caseworker recognize a child is deteriorating and intervene sooner, then it is absolutely worth doing,” said Werner. “I’m grateful to Director Ptak and the Department for their partnership in moving these reforms forward right away through administrative action. This ensures Arizona’s most vulnerable children benefit from improved documentation and earlier recognition of warning signs without delay.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
