An elementary school student testified that his former teacher harassed him over his family’s conservative beliefs.
The young boy brought his complaints to the attention of the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) at their most recent board meeting.
The little boy accused SUSD teacher Donna Javinett (Anasazi Elementary School) of coordinating with one of his neighbors to target himself and his family for their “extremist” beliefs in recent years.
The boy referenced a court case that resulted in a restraining order against his neighbor; during a hearing, the neighbor disclosed email correspondence with Javinett documenting their collusion against the boy.
“This teacher created a hostile school environment for kids like me when she didn’t like their parents. She would yell at me in the hallway and hurry me along. I also caught her filming me one day. She claimed she was filming for field day but the event was over and her phone was pointing right at me. At the same time, a neighbor on my street was also filming me while I was outside my home. It was creepy and I felt unsafe. It became so bad that my family had to get a restraining order against my neighbor. At court is when the neighbor revealed a personal email from Mrs. Javinett to my teacher not to my neighbor thanking my neighbor for protecting teachers against extremists. This is when I found out that Mrs. Javinett and my neighbor were working together.”
Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity, an activist group of SUSD community members and parents, obtained the referenced email. Javinett wrote an email thanking the neighbor, a retired educator by the name of “Ellen,” to thank her for her actions.
“I want to thank you for defending Scottsdale teachers against extremists who have nothing better to do than harass teachers, administrators, board members, and the superintendent on social media. We have been called groomers, rapists, and people who want nothing more than to indoctrinate children. You have defended us every step of the way. I know you are a retired educator who is still involved with many of our wonderful students in Scottsdale and I hope you know how much your support is appreciated.”
The parents of the student featured in the video shared an email sent by the SUSD 3rd-grade teacher to her neighbor. This email – obtained through a legal proceeding involving Ms. Javinett – appears to confirm that she referred to parents and families who raise concerns about… pic.twitter.com/iC1dJ7VgSD
— Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity (@ScottsdaleUnite) October 13, 2025
Javinett first came into the public eye for her Facebook comments responding to the assassination of Turning Point CEO and president Charlie Kirk.
Javinett argued with community members and parents on social media over whether Kirk was partially at fault for his assassination.
“Yes hate leads to violence and unfortunately Charlie Kirk in sided [sic] violence. He was nothing more than an ugly bigot,” said Javinett. “Kirk’s hatred of trans, LGBTQ, black people, and women is out there. I don’t have to defend the fact that I don’t respect hatred and bigotry.”
Javinett also accused Kirk of being a white nationalist.
“He was disgusting. He was in [sic] white nationalist. He disparaged marginalized communities. He thought that men should control women. You should be embarrassed that you support him,” said Javinett. “It makes me sad that you all try to indoctrinate kids with this right wing Christian bulls**t.”
The little boy asked the SUSD governing board why Javinett was allowed to continue teaching given her comments and past behavior.
“She’s the reason why we and others left Anasazi,” said the boy.
Javinett previously sustained criticisms for supporting an all-encompassing social and emotional learning approach to education.
Scottsdale Unified 3rd grade teacher Donna Javinett said the quiet part out loud and confirmed that class time across all subjects is spent on Social Emotional Learning, i.e. feelings/emotions, racial awareness, gendered identities and distributive justice. (CASEL is the… https://t.co/bPaLjoZCmvpic.twitter.com/6IzJv7dEXe
— Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity (@ScottsdaleUnite) October 23, 2024
Last fall, Javinett donated nearly $1,000 to the campaign of progressive SUSD board member Donna Lewis.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
An unidentified pink-haired student at the University of Arizona (U of A) gave a death threat to Turning Point USA (TPUSA) students.
The student had a male-presenting voice and wore sunglasses, a long pink dress, light pink jacket, black and white sneakers, and a canvas backpack.
The student’s voice and the type of shoes worn in the video that captured his threat — Puma Zip C men’s sneakers — indicated that the student was a male.
Per a video captured by those present, the student threatened those working the TPUSA table with the same fate that befell the late TPUSA founder and CEO, Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated by a gunshot through the neck last month at Utah Valley University.
Kirk was one month shy of 32 years old at the time of his death. The prominent young conservative activist and pundit left behind a wife, Erika Kirk, and two young children. The individual arrested and charged for Kirk’s assassination, Tyler Robinson, held progressive political beliefs and was in a romantic relationship with a male who identified as a transgender woman.
“Hey Nazis, can you set up somewhere I can avoid you easily?” said the student.
“Yeah, have a great day,” responded one of the TPUSA individuals behind the table.
“Ah, f**k you Nazi. Watch your neck,” responded the student.
The individual who captured the threat on video, TPUSA field representative Caden Hart, reported that, aside from the incident, their tabling efforts yielded over 25 new signups for their chapter.
Besides this situation, tabling today was full of great conversations and interactions! • Thanks to our @tpusastudents at the University of Arizona we ended the day with 25+ signups! https://t.co/KnCa2N7s7k
There is a closed hearing scheduled for Friday at the Utah County Courthouse for Kirk’s alleged killer, and a waiver hearing next week. The proceedings will remain “open to the public,” per the judge in the case. Robinson may receive the death penalty if found guilty.
Some point to this recent incident with the TPUSA table as indicative of the political climate at U of A, and associated it with a reported 19 percent drop in first-year students.
The university associated the decline with a dropping number of out-of-state and international students (23 percent less out-of-state students, nine percent less international students); overall student enrollment fell about four percent.
While hundreds in the U of A community mourned Kirk’s assassination, some have been outspoken about their indifference or even support for his death.
Yazmin Castro, a freshman and member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta, told AZPM that Kirk bore some responsibility for his own assassination since he was vocal about his conservative beliefs, which included his support for gun ownership.
“I think he was very hateful sometimes with his views,” said Castro. “I hope that the people that believed in those views as well, seeing someone that they looked up to being a victim of gun violence, I hope it opens their eyes to its not worth it,” she said.
A recent U of A graduate and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality employee, Jessika Mesa, posted a celebration of Kirk’s death on her social media page.
Jessika Mesa who has recently graduate from the University Of Arizona posted some hate regarding Charlie Kirk.
Tucson Councilwoman Lane Santa Cruz, an adjunct professor at U of A, responded to Kirk’s death with a story on social media that read “diosito te maldiga,” meaning “God curse (damn) you.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
The study, conducted by Hennessey Digital, analyzed graduation rates across all colleges in each state, highlighting a troubling trend for Arizona, where only 49.58% of the students in the cohort completed their degrees within 150% of the normal program completion time (4 years).
This places Arizona alongside other struggling states, making it one of the eight states below 50% graduation.
“Regardless of what you’re studying, college can be a challenging time, said CEO of Hennessey Digital, Jason Hennessey. “For many, it’s the first experience of independence, a change from the environment you’ve grown up in and ultimately, incredibly intense. It’s not surprising to see that many drop out of their courses before graduation, but ultimately, every student needs to consider what’s going to make them happy and successful and an academic path is not always going to achieve that.”
The research identifies Alaska as the state with the lowest college graduation rate at 32.93%, a staggering 27.99% below the national average. Only 735 of 2,232 students in Alaska’s cohort completed their degrees.
Following closely are Nevada, with 45.20% completion, with 4,932 out of 10,912 students graduating, and New Mexico, with 47.80% completion and 3,523 out of 7,370 students graduating. Both are struggling with significant gaps in degree completion compared to the national average.
In contrast, Massachusetts leads the nation with a 75.41% graduation rate, 14.49% above the national average, with 40,011 out of 53,060 students completing their degrees.
Rhode Island follows at 73% with 8,835 of 12,103 students graduating and then Connecticut at 70.77% with 14,898 of 21,052 students graduating.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Over 80 of the top University of Arizona (U of A) professors pushed leadership to reject President Donald Trump’s higher education compact.
At the beginning of this month, the Trump administration sent universities across the country the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education to encourage certain reforms in exchange for preferential federal funding. One major contentious point of the proposed compact would prohibit hostility to conservative viewpoints.
“To advance the national interest arising out of this unique relationship, this Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education represents the priorities of the U.S. government in its engagements with universities that benefit from the relationship,” read the compact. “Institutions of higher education are free to develop models and values other than those below, if the institution elects to forego federal benefits.”
The proposed reforms touch on improving equality in admissions, stabilizing the marketplace of ideas and civil discourse on campuses, ensuring nondiscrimination in faculty and administrative hiring, enforcing institutional neutrality on societal and political events, raising and standardizing student academic performance standards, establishing equal treatment of students, reducing the educational costs, and reducing foreign influences.
In response, 80 Regents Professors at U of A issued a letter to university President Suresh Garimella requesting denial of the compact. The professors said the compact contained “significant legal and practical flaws” which would threaten U of A’s academic freedom, institutional independence, and legal integrity.
The Regents Professor designation is an exclusive honoring of “faculty scholars of exceptional ability” with both national and international distinction in their respective fields. It is a recognition of the highest academic merit for faculty members who gave unique contributions to U of A through teaching scholarship, research, or creative work.
Their letter questioned the compact’s ambiguity, specifically the vagueness of the alleged benefits and preferential federal funding universities would receive. The professors stated multiple times that the compact offered no insight on how it would be operationalized and enforced.
“Without clarification, UA thus could be ceding authority over internal operations and academic policies for no enforceable, concrete new benefits,” said the professors.
U of A was one of nine institutions to receive the proposed compact, and the only one in Arizona. The others were Brown University, Dartmouth College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, University of Texas at Austin, University of Virginia, and Vanderbilt University.
These nine universities received the letter because the Trump administration judged them “good actors” based on their having “a president who is a reformer or a board that has really indicated they are committed to a higher-quality education,” per senior White House advisor May Mailman.
The Tucson City Council sent a similar message to U of A. The council passed a resolution urging the university president to reject the compact.
Garimella said in statements to the media that he and the Arizona Board of Regents are reviewing the compact together to determine a response.
These are the following Regents Professors who signed the letter opposing the compact (not listed: two anonymous signers):
John J. B. Allen, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Neuroscience;
Sama Raena Alshaibi, art professor; co-director of the Racial Justice Studio, and Regents Professor;
J. Roger P. Angel, Regents’ Professor of Astronomy and Optical Sciences, Steward Observatory astronomer, director of Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab;
Neal Armstrong, director of SPECS, Regents Professor (Emeritus) for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Regents Professor (Emeritus) for College of Optical Sciences;
Victor Baker, Regents Professor of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, Geosciences, and Planetary Sciences;
Carol Barnes, Regents’ Professor of Psychology, Neurology and Neuroscience; Evelyn F. McKnight Chair for Learning and Memory in Aging; Director, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute; Director, Division of Neural Systems, Memory and Aging;
Chad Bender, Astronomer, Steward Observatory;
Thomas Bever, Regents’ Professor, Linguistics, Psychology, Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, BIO5; Co-Director, Center for Consciousness Studies; Director, Cognition and Language Laboratory;
Ronald Brieger, Regents Professor and a Professor of Sociology at the University of Arizona; Interdisciplinary Program in Applied Mathematics; Interdisciplinary Program in Statistics & Data Science; School of Government and Public Policy;
David D. Breshears, Regents Professor Emeritus of Natural Resources and the Environment;
Judith L. Bronstein, University Distinguished Professor; Joint Professor (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology);
Judith K. Brown, Regents Professor, Plant Sciences; Research Associate Professor, Entomology; Professor, Entomology / Insect Science – GIDP;
Gail Burd, Senior Vice Provost; Office of Academic Affairs, Teaching & Learning; Distinguished Professor, Molecular & Cellular Biology;
Hsinchun Chen, Regents Professor of MIS; Thomas R. Brown Chair in Management and Technology; Director, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory; Director, AZSecure Cybersecurity Program;
Peter Chesson, Regents Professor, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology;
Albrecht Classen, University Distinguished Professor of German Studies;
George H. Davis, Regents Professor (Emeritus) of Structural Geology; Provost Emeritus;
Alison H. Deming, Regents Professor of English; Agnese Nelms Haury Chair of Environment and Social Justice;
Celestino Fernandez, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Sociology;
Price V. Fishback, Regents Professor; APS Professor of Economics;
Robert B. Fleischman, Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics;
Robert Glennon, Regents Professor and Morris K. Udall Professor Emeritus;
John Hildebrand, Regents Professor Emeritus of College of Neuroscience;
Malcolm K. Hughes, Regents’ Professor Emeritus for the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research;
Chris Impey, Distinguished Professor of Astronomy; Astronomer, Steward Observatory; Associate Co-Department Head;
Takeshi Inomata, Regents Professor for the School of Anthropology;
Josephine D. Korchmaros, Director of the University of Arizona’s Southwest Institute for Research on Women (SIROW);
Mary Koss, Regents’ Professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health;
Etta Kralovec, Regents Professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies;
Diana Liverman, Regents Professor for the School of Geography, Development, and Environment;
Sallie Marston, Regents Professor Emerita for chool of Geography, Development, and Environment; Co-Founder and Consultant, School Garden Workshop;
Oscar Martinez, Regents Professor Emeritus, History Department;
Toni M. Massaro, Regents Professor of Law Emerita; Milton O. Riepe Chair in Constitutional Law and Dean Emerita; Executive Director of the University of Arizona Agnese Nelms Haury Program;
William (Bill) McCallum, mathematics professor;
Daniel McDonald, Director, Take Charge America Institute for Consumer Financial Education and Research; Extension Specialist, Financial Literacy;
Alfred McEwen, planetary geologist and director of the Planetary Image Research Laboratory;
Juanita L Merchant, Associate Director, Basic Sciences, Cancer Center; Chief, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, College of Medicine; Regents Professor of College of Medicine;
Pierre Meystre, Regents Professor Emeritus of Optical Sciences;
Roger L Miesfeld, University Distinguished Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry;
Barbara Mills, Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Anthropology; Curator Emeritus of Archaeology, Arizona State Museum; Professor Emeritus, American Indian Studies;
Lynn Nadel, Regents Professor Emeritus of Psychology;
Alan C. Newell, Mathematics professor;
Mimi Nichter, Professor Emerita of Anthropology;
Janko Z. Nikolich, Professor, Basic Biomedical Sciences; Associate Dean for Research and Partnerships; Regents Professor; UA College of Medicine-Phoenix;
John W. Olsen, Research Professor Emeritus of East Asian Studies;
Jeanne E. Pemberton, Regents Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry;
Ian Pepper, Director, WEST Center; Regents Professor, Environmental Science;
David A. Pietz, Regents Professor; UNESCO Chair in Environmental History; Director, School of Global Studies;
George Rieke, Regents Professor for Lunar & Planetary Laboratory;
Marcia J. Rieke, Professor, Astronomy; Regents Professor; Astronomer, Steward Observatory; Endowed Chair, Dr Elizabeth Roemer – Steward Observatory;
Robert Robichaux, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology;
Jerzy W. Rozenblit, University Distinguished Professor; Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Raymond J. Oglethorpe Endowed Chair; Professor of Surgery; Professor of the BIO5 Institute;
Steven Schwartz, Regents Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry;
Beverly Seckinger, Distinguished Outreach Professor in the School of Theatre, Film & Television; former director of the School of Media Arts; Executive Committee of the Human Rights Practice graduate program; founded U of A LGBTQ+ Institute;
Chris Segrin, Regents Professor, Steve and Nancy Lynn Professor of Communication;
Thomas E. Sheridan, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology; Research Anthropologist, Southwest Center;
Kathy G. Short, Regents Professor, Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies;
Kelly Simmons-Potter, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, College of Engineering; University Distinguished Outreach Professor; Director AzRISE, the Arizona Research Initiative for Solar Energy; Professor of: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Optical Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering, and Indigenous Food, Energy and Water Systems Graduate Interdisciplinary Program;
Marvin Slepian, Regents Professor and Associate Department Head, Clinical & Industrial Affairs, Biomedical Engineering; Director, Arizona Center for Accelerated Biomedical Innovation; Regents Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology; Regents Professor of Medical Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging; Regents Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
David H. Soren, Regents Professor of Anthropology and Classics;
Sally J. Stevens, Distinguished Outreach Professor in Gender and Women’s Studies; Research Professor with the Southwest Institute for Research on Women;
Mary Stiner, Regents’ Professor Emeritus, Anthropology; ASM Curator Emeritus, Zooarchaeology; Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences;
Peter A. Strittmatter, Regents Professor Emeritus of Astronomy;
Tom Swetnam, Regents’ Professor, Emeritus of Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research;
Bruce E. Tabashnik, Regents’ Professor & Department Head of Entomology;
Vicente Talanquer, University Distinguished Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry;
Leslie Tolbert, Regents Professor Emerita of Neuroscience;
Rebecca Tsosie, Regents Professor and Morris K. Udall Professor of Law;
Todd Vanderah, Co-Director, MD/PhD Dual Degree Program; Department Head, Pharmacology; Director, Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center; Professor of: Anesthesiology, BIO5 Institute, Neurology, Neuroscience – GIDP, Pharmacology and Physiological Sciences – GIDP;
Marcela Vásquez-León, Professor, Anthropology; Research Anthropologist, Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology; Director, Center for Latin American Studies;
Donata Vercelli, Regents Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine; Director, Arizona Center for the Biology of Complex Diseases; Associate Director, Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center; Professor of BIO5 Institute and Genetics GIDP;
Robert A. Williams, Jr., Regents Professor, E. Thomas Sullivan Professor of Law;
Rod Wing, Director of Arizona Genomics Institute; Professor, Plant Science; Bud Antle Endowed Chair For Excellence, Agriculture & Life Sciences; Professor of BIO5 Institute and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology;
Connie Woodhouse, Regents Professor Emerita of Geography, Development, & Environment;
Jiang Wu, Regents Professor of East Asian Studies;
Dennis Zaritsky, Deputy Director, Steward Observatory; Regents Professor, Astronomy;
Ofelia Zepeda, Professor, American Indian Studies and Linguistics; and
Lucy M. Ziurys, Regents Professor, CBC and Astronomy
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
As enrollment dips and two schools are considered for repurposing, Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) is promoting a biking event for “girls, nonbinary youth, and gender-expansive” children in family-facing communications.
In an October 9th post to X, parental rights organization Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity (SUEI) wrote: “Parents confirmed @ScottsdaleUSD is using their district-wide communication system to promote an event for ‘nonbinary youth’ and ‘gender expansive’ children. Girls in Gear (and apparently boys, too) claims that these lessons are Social Emotional Learning. Email: GovBRD@SUSD.org.”
🚨SUSD is planning a "girls" event for "nonbinary youth" and "gender expansive" children.
— Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity (@ScottsdaleUnite) October 9, 2025
The “Girls in Gear” program, which focuses on cycling skills and social-emotional learning, includes participants who identify outside traditional gender norms, according to a district email sent to families. A post on X by SUEI shared the event flyer, which lists the inclusive criteria.
According to the Girls in Gear website, the event “is open to any rider who identifies as a girl. If a rider identifies as a girl, then the rider is welcome to participate in Girls in Gear.”
In a reply to the SUEI post, Arizona Women of Action drew attention to the contradiction that SUSD is continuing to focus on gender ideology despite reduced enrollment, school closures under discussion, and at-risk federal funding.
Arizona Women of Action wrote in its reply:
“1. Identifying as a gender that is not innate (boy or girl) is often the first step of the ‘trans’ path. By Scottsdale Unified recognizing these identities (non-binary, gender expansive) the district can contribute to a child’s ‘trans’ path. Change in pronouns and presentation are next, irreversible puberty blockers and hormones follow.
2. This is no longer a girls’ event if non binary or gender expansive youth can participate.
3. SUSD is closing schools. This kind of choice could be a contributing factor to low enrollment.
4. Isn’t there an EO about this? Yes. And schools can lose federal funding.”
The organization also called up on followers to call “the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at 1-800-421-3481 to report non-compliance.”
1. Identifying as a gender that is not innate (boy or girl) is often the first step of the "trans" path. By Scottsdale Unified recognizing these identities (non-binary, gender expansive) the district can contribute to a child's "trans" path. Change in pronouns and presentation… pic.twitter.com/iL7yUKiRPR
District reporting in February revealed that under SUSD Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel, enrollment has consistently dropped. As of February 2025, enrollment stood at 19,367, a decrease of 390 students from 2024, down 355 from the previous year. Over the past seven years, enrollment has dropped precipitously by 13%, from 22,608.
In response to the enrollment trends, the SUSD governing board voted 3-2 on October 7th to advance a proposal to repurpose Echo Canyon K-8 School and Pima Elementary School for the 2026-27 school year, according to AZ Family. Menzel addressed the looming closures with families in a September message and cited under-enrollment at both schools.
The promotion of the program also comes amid federal policies addressing gender-related content in schools. President Trump’s Executive Order 14190, issued January 29, 2025, directs the withholding of federal funds from K-12 programs that promote gender ideology or other specified materials, and reestablishes the 1776 Commission for patriotic education. Additionally, a Department of Health and Human Services directive on August 26, 2025, requires states to certify that sex education programs do not reference transgender youth or gender ideology to receive funding, affecting 46 states and territories, including Arizona. Several Democratic-led states have filed lawsuits challenging the directive. Despite pending legal action, the Executive Order and HHS Directive both remain in effect at present.
SUSD has previously addressed transgender-related policies, including student transition plans and LGBTQ curriculum, and run afoul of the Arizona Department of Education and parents alike. In prior incidents, the district faced questions over notifications to parents and the use of school spaces for related activities, such as a “sexuality-safe-space” at Mohave Middle School, as reported by the Arizona Daily Independent.
Last month, a BrainPOP lesson on LGBTQ topics prompted review under state DEI restrictions, with Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne citing potential violations.
Other community responses in the thread include comments from users expressing concern over the event’s inclusivity and district priorities.
Parents confirmed @ScottsdaleUSD is using their district-wide communication system to promote an event for "nonbinary youth" and "gender expansive" children. Girls in Gear (and apparently boys, too) claims that these lessons are Social Emotional Learning.
A school social worker “gone rogue,” who resigned to avoid firing in 2023, claimed she had the approval of a governing board member.
Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) investigated and ultimately released a now-former Peoria Flex Academy social worker, Allyson Jamee Ross, for treating students and taking them off campus without parental consent, according to records obtained and first reported on by the Arizona Daily Independent.
Ross worked in PUSD from around 2019 to 2023. Prior to that, Ross worked with the Child Protective Services and foster care systems in both Arizona and Virginia.
Ross defended her actions — which included taking students to doctors appointments and serving as their health advocates, helping a student plan to run away from home, taking a pregnant student to a Wiccan for consultation, and assisting a student with securing a birth control prescription — as necessary, comparing parents to “wolves” when describing their involvement.
“Our students don’t have the parents or guidance to teach them those skills,” said Ross. “I will be in the wrong, but I will never send a student away because I don’t have a consent form.”
Ross claimed she acted with the approval of her boss, Peoria Flex Academy Principal Cybill Jacob, and PUSD governing board member Melissa Ewing.
“She [Jacobs] knows exactly what I’m doing with students every single week. She knows very well, and even brags to Melissa [Board Member] about how her social worker goes so above and beyond and does all these great things like taking them to doctor’s appointments, food stamps, social security, etc.,” said Ross in an interview with investigators. “It was completely supported by everyone, driving students in personal vehicles. The van is never available, always broken, stolen catalytic converter, or always in the shop.”
Ross also violated district policy by transporting them regularly in a personal vehicle. School leaders attempted to resolve Ross’ infractions through trainings and meetings before turning her over for an investigation that concluded with giving her the option to voluntarily resign or face punishment.
PUSD didn’t file a statement of charges against Ross since she voluntarily resigned and voluntarily surrendered her social worker certificate.
PUSD also reported Ross to the Arizona State Board of Education.
PUSD Board President Heather Rooks shared the report on Ross. Ewing admonished Rooks for sharing the article and the detail of her alleged knowledge of the incident publicly.
“I had no knowledge of this happening and never would have supported this. You could have placed a phone call to me to ask me that as we sit on the same board. We have sat together for almost 3 years. We have both heard the same information both in public and in executive session,” said Ewing. “As President of the Board, you could have asked that this be reviewed in executive session – oh wait you did, despite it happening 2 years ago. All 5 board members heard the same information.”
Peoria Unified Social Worker (no longer employed) took students off campus to doctors appointments including for birth control. The SW claims the Principal of the school & Peoria School Board Member Melissa Ewing knew about it- Az Daily Independenthttps://t.co/czWDIKtIdUpic.twitter.com/T3l69agpLN
— Heather Rooks The Peoria Mom (@ThePeoriaMom) October 6, 2025
State Senate candidate Anthony Kern (also a former state lawmaker) said that this incident justified the opposition he and other Republican lawmakers share over having social workers on school campuses.
“[Social workers] are tools of the deranged Democrats,” said Kern. “Get your children out of public schools. Sign up for an ESA account.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
