The Arizona Supreme Court has agreed to take on a case determining whether Arizona State University (ASU) can mandate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) trainings for its employees.
Professor Owen Anderson sued the Arizona Board of Regents in 2024 after ASU required him to take a DEI training called “Inclusive Communities” (ASU referred to their version of DEI as “DEIB,” or “diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging”).
ASU requires the Inclusive Communities training as a condition of employment upon hire and every two years.
The Goldwater Institute, a Phoenix-based public policy and litigation organization, filed on Anderson’s behalf. Goldwater Institute attorney Stacy Skankey said the case represented Arizonans’ right to hold government agencies accountable for violating the law.
Arizona law prohibits any mandatory trainings which impart “blame or judgment on the basis of race, ethnicity or sex.”
“No one should be forced to participate in divisive DEI training or endorse race-based ideology as a condition for holding a government job,” said Skankey. “That’s exactly why Arizona lawmakers banned mandatory trainings that teach discriminatory ideas about race, ethnicity, or sex. But a law without enforcement is no law at all.”
The Inclusive Communities training included materials which taught that white supremacy exists as a structural phenomenon, minority faculty don’t have authority or control due to structural inequalities like racism and sexism, white privilege and white fragility exist and impact communities, white people have a duty to combat their privilege, racism can be implicit even if not intended, and sexual identities yield power.
Transcript examples from the training materials were included in the Goldwater Institute’s filing within the Arizona Supreme Court.
Along with the training, ASU formerly required employees to pass an accompanying module quiz. This exam graded certain answers as correct which served to advance DEIB ideology; the Goldwater Institute argued this final test further proved the training served as an impermissible mandate for employees to accept blame or judgment on the basis of race, ethnicity, and sex.
Anderson said ASU’s mandate violated state law because the training assigned “race blame” based on skin color.
Anderson added that ASU’s training was rooted in a Marxist dichotomy reducing the world to oppressor versus oppressed, and that the training imparted impermissibly discriminatory teachings that conflicted with his religious and political beliefs. Anderson is a tenured faculty member who teaches philosophy and religious studies.
“Arizona State leaders broke the law when they forced me and every other employee to take part in an ideological training that taught that it’s okay to judge people on their race, ethnicity, religion, and sex. I simply refuse to do that,” said Anderson. “Ultimately, the question before the Arizona Supreme Court isn’t a left or right issue — it’s about whether a state employee has the right to hold their employer accountable when it violates the law.”
The Arizona Court of Appeals previously rejected Anderson’s lawsuit. The court ruled that the law doesn’t have a provision allowing individuals like Anderson to seek legal recourse.
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The Arizona Auditor General found that Apache Elementary School District (AESD) improperly received state funding for out-of-state students and more than $27,500 in excess transportation funding, while raising concerns about employee benefits, technology controls, and the future viability of the eight-student district.
The Auditor General’s Office also reported that one audit finding was omitted from the public report because of its “sensitive nature” and was communicated directly to the district’s governing board and management.
According to the audit highlights, AESD, located on the Arizona-New Mexico state border, served just eight students during fiscal year 2024, with four of those students residing in neighboring New Mexico. Auditors found the district failed to comply with state requirements governing the admission and reporting of out-of-state students and improperly received state funding for those students. The report recommended that the district evaluate operational alternatives given the small number of Arizona students it serves.
The audit found that the district improperly claimed funding for out-of-state students and failed to charge tuition as required by state law. Auditors also concluded that the district improperly reported transportation miles associated with transporting out-of-state students to and from their homes in New Mexico, along with other reporting errors.
The report stated that the district “paid parents to transport students but did not ensure that all reported mileage and transported students were eligible for State funding and reported data was accurate.”
According to the report, those errors resulted in the district receiving more than $27,500 in excess transportation funding during fiscal year 2025 that it will likely be required to repay to the state.
The Auditor General recommended that the district work with the Arizona Department of Education to correct its student enrollment and transportation reporting errors and ensure future compliance with state requirements. Auditors also recommended that if the district continues admitting out-of-state students, it should charge tuition in accordance with state law.
In addition to the funding issues, auditors found that the district may have violated the Arizona Constitution’s Gift Clause by providing unauthorized fringe benefits to two employees. According to the report, the benefits were not included in employee contracts and were not approved by the district’s governing board prior to being provided. Auditors recommended that the district consult legal counsel to determine whether a Gift Clause violation occurred and, if so, report its determination to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
The audit also identified deficiencies in the district’s cash-handling procedures. Auditors reported that the district did not consistently prepare receipts when cash was collected and did not always make deposits in accordance with required timelines, increasing the risk of loss or theft.
The report further found weaknesses in the district’s information technology controls. According to auditors, employees and external users had excessive access to sensitive computerized data, while the district lacked comprehensive system monitoring, security awareness training, and an IT contingency plan. The Auditor General concluded that these deficiencies increased the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information, data loss, errors, and fraud.
Auditors also recommended that the district work with the Cochise County School Superintendent’s Office to evaluate alternative operational structures. Potential options identified in the report include consolidating with another school district, operating as a transportation school district, or dissolving the district and requiring students to attend a nearby district.
The report noted that the majority of the district’s administrative spending was “for superintendent and business manager salaries and benefits.”
According to the Auditor General, the district’s governing board had three filled positions during fiscal year 2024, though one board member later resigned and only two of the three positions were filled when the report was issued in May 2026. The district’s small enrollment prevented the Arizona Department of Education from assigning a school letter grade or publicly reporting student achievement data in order to protect student privacy.
In its formal response to Arizona Auditor General Lindsey Perry, AESD agreed with the audit findings and stated it has already begun implementing corrective actions. Superintendent Loy Ann Guzman wrote, “While some recommendations already have been implemented, the district will continue to work diligently to complete administration of the remaining items and will work to improve the processes and procedures moving forward.”
The district reported that it has instituted procedures requiring proof of residency for enrolled students, worked with the Arizona Department of Education to correct enrollment reporting errors, and does not currently plan to admit out-of-state students. The district also agreed to evaluate operational alternatives with the Cochise County School Superintendent’s Office, review potential Gift Clause issues with legal counsel, improve cash-handling procedures, and implement additional information technology safeguards.
The Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) voted June 1st to direct the Arizona Auditor General to conduct two targeted special audits examining student safety in schools and the administration of federal childcare assistance funds.
One audit will focus on school safety practices statewide, marking the fourth special review of the issue. It will specifically include the Phoenix Union High School District following recent serious incidents of campus violence, including the August 2025 stabbing of a student at Maryvale High School.
The Auditor General will assess whether Arizona schools have properly adopted and implemented emergency response policies, thoroughly investigated student safety allegations, and complied with the state’s mandatory reporting laws.
In a separate action, the JLAC approved a special audit of Arizona’s administration and oversight of the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). The program, primarily administered by the Arizona Department of Economic Security, provides childcare assistance to qualifying families.
“JLAC took bipartisan action to get answers on two issues that matter to Arizona families,” said Chairman Matt Gress (R-LD4). “Parents deserve to know whether schools are prepared to respond to credible threats and whether serious safety concerns are being handled properly. Taxpayers deserve to know whether hundreds of millions of federal childcare dollars are being managed responsibly. These important audits will establish the facts, identify gaps, and help us determine what needs to change.”
Arizona spent around $573 million in federal CCDF funding during fiscal year 2024. The audit follows previous State Single Audit findings that identified deficiencies in provider oversight, questioned costs, and reporting.
The review arrives amid growing national concerns about fraud and abuse in publicly funded assistance programs. Federal officials have highlighted risks across the country, including recent charges announced by the U.S. Department of Justice in Minnesota against 15 defendants in alleged fraud schemes involving more than $90 million, some tied to childcare assistance programs.
The Auditor General’s examination of the CCDF will cover the approval and monitoring of childcare providers, inter-agency oversight responsibilities, and the accuracy and propriety of program expenditures from fiscal years 2021-25. The review may also extend to participation providers and other areas deemed necessary by the Auditor General, with particular attention to higher-risk periods during and after COVID.
“The fraud scandals unfolding in other states are a warning sign,” added Gress. “Arizona should not wait for a crisis before asking hard questions. When hundreds of millions of dollars flow through a program, strong oversight is not optional. This audit will help determine whether taxpayer dollars are protected, safeguards are working, and childcare assistance is reaching the families it is meant to serve.”
The school safety audit, which received unanimous approval, will begin following completion of the third school safety special audit now underway. It is scheduled to be completed on or before December 31, 2027. The Child Care and Development Fund audit will require cooperation from relevant state agencies and entities involved in federal childcare funding.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The group seeking to end Arizona’s universal school choice program declared that it doesn’t have to disclose the percentage of out-of-state funds.
A complaint filed in April alleged the Protect Education, Accountability Now Committee (PEANC) falsely advertised that only 9% of contributions came from out of state.
PEANC’s ballot initiative, the Protect Education Act, would impose an income cap limiting enrollment in Arizona’s school choice program, Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, and eliminate funding rollover.
PEANC claimed in a response submitted on Friday and obtained by AZ Free News that Arizona law only requires the percentage of out-of-state contributors, not out-of-state contributions.
The section of Arizona law at issue (A.R.S. § 16-925) states the following:
“In addition to the disclosure required by subsection A of this section, a political action committee that makes an expenditure for an advertisement shall include a disclosure stating: […] The aggregate percentage of out-of-state contributors as calculated at the time the advertisement was produced for publication, display, delivery or broadcast. The disclosure shall state ‘paid for by _____’ as prescribed by subsection A of this section, followed by ‘with _____% from out-of-state contributors’ with the blank to be filled by the aggregate percentage prescribed by this paragraph.”
Counsel for PEANC argued in its response letter that, while nearly $4.5 million of its $4.6 million in net contributions did come from Washington, D.C. labor organizations, only 9% of all contributors to PEANC were from out of state.
“This text requires disclosure of the aggregate percentage of out-of-state contributors — i.e., based on contributor counts — not dollar amounts or ‘aggregate funding,’ and that percentage is calculated ‘at the time the advertisement was produced,’” stated PEANC’s counsel, Barton Mendez Soto. “The word ‘contributors’ refers to the people or entities making contributions, not the dollar amounts of their contributions.”
PEANC’s counsel said their interpretation accurately reflected what they dubbed the “contributors-percentage metric” represented by the statute.
The complainant, Jack Pannell, filed his complaint with the secretary of state after he observed a disclaimer on the bottom of PEANC’s website claiming that out-of-state contributors accounted only for 9% of total funding.
An archived version of the site captured in early February reflected an out-of-state contributions disclosure that totaled 50%.
Major Arizona-native donors to the PEANC came nowhere near the millions posted to PEANC’s finance reports; these donors include Arizonans For Quality Education (AFQE), $50,000; Nita and Phil Francis, $25,000; and the Arizona Education Association, $10,000.
Approximately 99% of AFQE’s funding has been tied to “shadow sponsors,” meaning unnamed corporations and LLCs. The remaining funds, less than half of a percent, came from an individual named Christopher “Chris” Kotterman on behalf of the Friends of ASBA, an affiliate of the Arizona School Boards Association.
Kotterman has served as Gov. Katie Hobbs’ senior policy advisor since late 2024.
The Protect Education Act would need about 256,000 signatures to make the ballot. The petition-filing deadline is July 2.
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The principal who went viral in the Valley for barring parents from attending eighth grade graduation due to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity played a key role in banning a parent from another school campus in violation of the First Amendment.
This week wasn’t the first time that Bronwyn Sternberg, principal at the Cecil Shamley School in the Tempe Elementary School District (TESD), has kept parents off campus for reportedly political reasons.
In February 2020, Sternberg participated in the ban of a parent, Rebecca Hartzell, from the premises of Marana Unified School District’s Dove Mountain School. Sternberg was an associate principal at the time, and identified in a Supreme Court filing as an official who coordinated Hartzell’s removal. The Arizona District Court ruled in March that district officials had unconstitutionally retaliated against Hartzell for her speech, consistent with a prior finding in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. A jury awarded Hartzell $200,000.
Now, a little over six years later, Sternberg has taken another action to keep parents off campus in relation to a highly politicized issue.
On Wednesday, Sternberg informed parents that they wouldn’t be permitted to attend their child’s eighth grade graduation to prevent any additional ICE detainments.
Immigration authorities detained a Cecil Shamley School mother and her son off school property on Tuesday. This prompted Sternberg to call off all outside attendance to the promotion ceremony, which occurred on Thursday.
ICE issued a statement explaining that it arrested the mother, 47-year-old Margoth Del Pilar Paredes-Ortiz of Ecuador, on referral by Border Patrol for suspicion of illegal alien smuggling. Paredes-Ortiz was subject to a removal order from an immigration judge issued last March.
Per ICE, Paredes-Ortiz voluntarily requested that her son, also an illegal alien from Ecuador with a final order of removal, be returned with her to Ecuador.
Federal law requires equal public school access to all children regardless of immigration status.
Paredes-Ortiz and her son were taken to a Texas facility for deportation proceedings.
Sternberg said that closing the graduation ceremony off to parents and other guests was a matter of safety. Sternberg said students from the sixth and seventh grades would be allowed to attend instead, and that parents would receive a recorded video of the promotion ceremony.
“This change may be disappointing for some families; however, we feel it is truly in the best interest of our students and staff. I appreciate the partnership, kind words, and questions that I have received from our parents. Thank you for your cooperation as we prioritize our students,” said Sternberg.
Libs of TikTok shared a copy of the letter to parents in a viral post.
BREAKING: @TempeElementary Principal Bronwyn Sternberg sent a letter to families informing them that parents and guests will NOT be allowed to attend students' graduation after a reported illegal alien parent and her child were arrested by ICE near the school. pic.twitter.com/TGRxTFsqcT
Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-04) visited the detained family and indicated he was working to secure their release. Stanton and Arizona’s other elected Democrats have given illegal aliens constituent privileges and prioritized them in their constituent work.
I’m sickened that a Tempe student and their parent were violently detained by ICE and taken to a detention center in Texas just before his 8th grade promotion.
Terrorizing a child, ripping them from their community, and forcing them into detention is beyond cruel. It is inhumane… https://t.co/n7i1jv9J1W
— Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (@RepYassAnsari) May 28, 2026
Shamley School students conducted a walkout from school in protest of the Paredes-Ortiz family’s deportation.
Sternberg became principal of Cecil Shamley School in 2023.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
Pima Community College (PCC) approved a restricted $5.9 million workforce-development gift agreement with Beale Infrastructure Group while later confirming that its Sustainability Director position will be eliminated as part of an organizational realignment.
According to PCC Governing Board records, trustees approved a Restricted Gift Agreement with Beale Infrastructure Group, LLC during the board’s May 13 meeting by a 4–0 vote, with board member Kristen Randall abstaining. The Board’s approved-items agenda lists the agreement but does not include its value or terms.
Beale Infrastructure is the project developer for the proposed “Project Blue” data center complex under construction on 290 acres outside of Tucson near the Pima County Fairgrounds.
The company is also pursuing construction of the “Luckett Road Data Center,” a 600-acre data center development in Marana, where it became embroiled in a legal battle with the town over two rejected referendums related to the project, according to AZPM News.
Anti-data center protests getting physical here in Tucson @Jason@chamath.
“According to a Beale Infrastructure representative, a masked group marched through the offices loudly banging drums, shouting threats and pulling items from desks.”https://t.co/3BGthcSxQP
Board Chair Theresa Riel Taylor introduced the item as a five-year restricted gift agreement beginning June 1, 2026, with the possibility of extension and additional funding.
Amanda Evans, PCC Assistant Vice Chancellor for Workforce Development and Strategic Partnerships, described the agreement as “a significant philanthropic investment in Pima Community College.”
During the presentation, Evans confirmed the Beale donation totals $5,912,992 and is structured as a restricted workforce-development gift.
“The funds are specifically designed for areas of need for Pima to support student access and success,” Evans told the board.
According to Evans, the funding will support expansion in information technology and cybersecurity, including three full-time faculty positions, along with scholarships for several workforce programs.
“Those areas include supporting expansion in IT and cybersecurity by funding three full-time faculty members,” Evans said, adding that scholarships will support “Pima Fast Track Electrical, our building and construction technology programs, IT and cyber programs, and our computer aided drafting… and welding as well.”
Evans said the gift also provides support for transportation, housing, and childcare assistance, along with funding for veterans services, high-school transition programs, and career-placement efforts.
“The gift also provides additional funds to help remove barriers for students — things like transportation, housing and childcare,” Evans said.
Evans told trustees the agreement carries a five-year term beginning June 1 and includes the possibility of additional future funding. “The initial term does begin on June 1st. It does go for five years, with a subsequent gift of approximately $6.8 million,” Evans said. “That could be something that Beale Infrastructure chooses to enter into an agreement with us.”
The board agenda identified the item only as a “Restricted Gift Agreement” and did not publicly list the donation amount or program details in its approved-items summary.
Calling for a vote to approve the agreement, Taylor addressed the public controversy surrounding Project Blue:
“I just want to acknowledge that I understand the environment of controversy in which this happens in terms of the data center development and… and what Beale is involved with. But, you know, tonight we’re facing a choice between a philosophical statement about data centers and a tangible investment in our students. And so I want to be clear that whether this board accepts this gift or rejects it, the development of that data center project continues. It has absolutely nothing to do with the development of that project.
“All that voting ‘no’ tonight does will… Voting no tonight wouldn’t stop a single brick from being laid, or a single drop of water from being used in that data center project. It only stops those resources from reaching our classrooms. And I don’t think I can, in good conscience, tell our students, who have now faced nearly two decades of disinvestment from the state and now millions in federal disinvestment over the last year, that we turned away millions of dollars for their success to make a symbolic gesture that will have zero impact on the project in question. So it’s definitely something I’ll be voting in favor of tonight. And I think it’s something that fits within the core of our mission and our purpose to help students achieve their educational outcomes.”
Board member Kristen Randall praised PCC’s sustainability efforts during her trustee report. Randall highlighted the college’s Climate Community Day and cited sustainability programming as an area of growth.
“Climate and sustainability aren’t just subjects,” Randall said while discussing the event. “They are lenses for seeing the world.”
Later in the meeting, Randall abstained from the vote on the Beale gift while the remaining trustees voted in favor of the agreement.
PCC Provides Confirmation: Sustainability Director Position Eliminated
AZ Free News contacted PCC administration, the Office of Sustainability, and Governing Board members to seek clarification on the future of the sustainability office, whether staffing or budget changes have been approved, and whether any connection exists between those decisions and the Beale gift agreement.
Justin Kree, Director of Media Relations for Pima Community College, responded on the college’s behalf. Kree confirmed PCC approved the agreement May 13 and said the $5.9 million gift will support workforce-development programs in IT, cybersecurity, electrical training, and skilled trades, with the Pima Foundation serving as fiscal agent.
Kree also addressed questions regarding the future of PCC’s sustainability programs, the Sustainability Director position, and the Climate Action and Sustainability Plan.
AZFN: Has PCC eliminated or otherwise dissolved the Office of Sustainability/Director position? Has PCC eliminated or reduced the sustainability program budget for FY2027? If so, please provide details regarding funding levels and changes.
PCC: The College remains fully committed to sustainability, climate action, and environmental responsibility. As part of an organizational realignment, the College decided to eliminate the Sustainability Director position, effective June 30, 2026. Sustainability remains an institutional priority reflected in the College’s strategic principles, and Climate Action and Sustainability courses, faculty-led initiatives, and operational efforts, including energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives, remain ongoing. The College’s sustainability initiatives and academic offerings continue to receive institutional support.
Students continue to have access to Climate Action & Sustainability (CAS) courses focused on environmental challenges, sustainable futures, and practical solutions. CAS course offerings and student enrollment are, in fact, growing. Summer and Fall 2026 offerings include CAS 110: Food, People and the Planet and CAS 120: Systems, Logic & Sustainability. Enrollment in this area has doubled over the past year, with the program serving more than 340 enrolled students during the most recent academic year.
AZFN: Has PCC formally concluded or discontinued implementation of its Climate Action and Sustainability Plan, or is the June 2026 conclusion part of a previously scheduled planning cycle?
PCC: The College’s Climate Action and Sustainability Plan (CASP) will reach the end of its planned cycle in June 2026. The conclusion of this plan is part of its established timeline and does not represent a discontinuation of the College’s sustainability efforts. PCC is currently developing the next CASP to guide sustainability initiatives in the upcoming academic year. Sustainability remains an institutional priority and is reflected in the strategic principles approved by the Governing Board in May 2026.
PCC remains committed to the goals established in the CASP, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding climate and sustainability education, pursuing sustainability certification, and advancing long-term climate action planning. In 2026, the College will reaffirm its commitment to the Second Nature Presidents’ Climate Commitment, further demonstrating PCC’s continued focus on sustainability and environmental stewardship.
AZFN: Does PCC’s proposed FY2027 budget or pending bond proposal contain sustainability-related capital, infrastructure, or operational funding? If so, please identify those allocations.
PCC: Yes. Both the proposed FY2027 budget and the pending bond proposal include funding that supports PCC’s broader sustainability efforts through personnel, facilities, infrastructure, and operational investments.
While sustainability-related funding is not always identified as separate, standalone line items, sustainability practices and goals are integrated throughout the College’s planning and operations. This includes support for personnel, facility improvements, infrastructure modernization, energy efficiency considerations, curriculum integration, and capital projects designed to improve long-term environmental performance and resource stewardship across the College.
In addition, bond-funded facilities projects are being planned and evaluated with sustainability principles in mind, including opportunities for efficient building systems, modernization, and responsible campus development.
Later in the meeting, faculty and students urged PCC leadership to reconsider reported changes involving the college’s sustainability programs, including reports that the Office of Sustainability could be dissolved or substantially restructured.
Katie Brown, a faculty member who said she has taught at PCC for more than 25 years and now teaches climate action and sustainability courses, told the board she learned the Office of Sustainability faced elimination.
“I was astounded and dismayed… to hear that the Office of Sustainability is planned to be eliminated, along with much of that program,” Brown said. “That is horrifying to me.”
Brown praised PCC’s Climate Action and Sustainability Plan and said the college had developed a national reputation for climate and sustainability programming. “The Climate Action Sustainability plan that you have is amazing,” Brown said. “It is an example to many other places.”
Brown also read a statement from Dr. Crystal McKenna, whom she identified as a faculty member and the Department Chair in Climate Action and Sustainability at PCC.
“I’m here today to respectfully request a pause and reconsideration of the decision to dissolve the Office of Sustainability,” Brown read from McKenna’s statement.
McKenna’s statement argued that the office played a central role in implementing the college’s sustainability initiatives and coordinating environmental planning. “The Office of Sustainability has been the structure that made that work possible,” the statement said.
McKenna further argued that dissolving the office would raise concerns about institutional consistency and credibility. “This request is not simply about a single office,” Brown read. “It is about institutional alignment, accountability, and our credibility as a college.”
Student speaker Mary Jane Blanton, who said she is enrolled in climate and sustainability coursework, also urged the board to preserve the program. “The sustainability department has changed that for me,” Blanton told trustees, describing herself as previously disengaged and “nihilistic” before taking climate coursework at PCC.
PCC’s public sustainability webpage currently states that the Office of Sustainability oversees implementation of the college’s Climate Action and Sustainability Plan. The college’s published Climate Action and Sustainability Plan states the current planning cycle was already scheduled to conclude in June 2026, following a previously approved extension.
At the time of publication, AZ Free News received no direct responses from the Governing Board Members.
