Correction: A former version of this story identified Anytown Leadership Program as the source of the controversial programming. Anytown Leadership Program responded to our request for comment post-publication to clarify that the programming came from their predecessor organization, identified as Anytown Arizona.
On a further note: As news of this controversy circulated, threats against the campers and staffers were reported. This is impermissible. AZ Free News does not condone or encourage threats of violence of any kind.
Another club within Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) has stirred up controversy over its social justice programming, “Unitown,” for its engagement with hot-button issues like sexuality and anti-racism. Though they’ve attracted national attention, SUSD’s Unitown clubs aren’t new or unique to the district. Unitown clubs and camps have existed within Arizona schools for decades.
The Arizona Daily Independent first reported on SUSD’s Unitown. They shared emails in which SUSD staff and teachers discussed implementation of the sexuality programming offered by the now-defunct social justice instructional organization Anytown Arizona: the “Safe Zone” and “Sexual Orientation” curriculum.
The Sexual Orientation curriculum included a skit titled “Herman’s Head,” in which a gender-confused child deals with their upset and confused parents, church, best friend, and current partner while dealing with the happiness of their potential partner. The minor playing the role of the gender-confused child is encouraged to pretend to contemplate suicide with a toy gun after pretending to handle the pressures of their friends and family.
That curriculum also included a “Sexual Orientation Exercise,” which asked the following questions of students:
What do you think caused your heterosexuality?
When and how did you first decide that you were a heterosexual?
Is it possible that your heterosexuality is just a phase that you may just grow out of?
Is it possible that your heterosexuality stems from a neurotic fear of others of the same sex?
If you’ve never slept with a person of the same sex, is it possible that all you need is a good gay/lesbian lover?
To whom have you disclosed your heterosexual tendencies?
Why do you heterosexuals feel compelled to seduce others into your lifestyle?
Why do you insist on flaunting your heterosexuality? Can’t you just be who you are and keep quiet?
Would you want your children to be heterosexual, knowing all the problems they’d face?
A disproportionate majority (side note: the actual figure is 98 percent) of child molesters are heterosexuals. Do you consider it safe to expose our children to heterosexual teachers?
Even with all the societal support marriage receives, the divorce rate is spiraling. Why are there so few stable relationships among heterosexuals?
Why do heterosexuals place so much emphasis on sex?
Considering the menace of overpopulation, how could the human race survive if everyone were heterosexual?
Could you trust a heterosexual therapist to be objective? Don’t you fear that the therapist might be inclined to influence you in the direction of his/her own learnings?
How can you become a whole person if you limit yourself to compulsive exclusive heterosexuality and fail to develop your natural, healthy homosexual potential?
There seem to be very few happy heterosexuals. Techniques have been developed that might enable you to change if you really want to. Have you considered electro-shock therapy?
Anytown Arizona wrote on the questionnaire that the goal was to reduce homophobia and create more straight allies. They wrote that homophobia was “an unrealistic fear or generalized negative attitude based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”
.@ScottsdaleUSD reportedly hosted a student club to “promote leadership and diversity” which was actually a cover for teaching gender identity and sexuality.
The Safe Zone curriculum included the “Gender Unicorn,” one of the common visuals to argue that gender and sexuality exist on a spectrum — similar to “Genderbread,” as reported on last year by AZ Free News. The visual was paired with reading assignments explaining further what’s taught using the Gender Unicorn.
SUSD launched their Unitown decades ago alongside a “Minitown.” Former SUSD Superintendent David Peterson described the programs in 2015 as opportunities to recognize and address racism, bigotry, bullying, prejudice, and intolerance. However, Unitown existed in SUSD for years before that. Back in 2005, students toldEast Valley Tribune that they were focusing on stereotyping, racial issues, and diversity in the SUSD club.
Other Arizona schools hosted or advocated for Unitown clubs and camps for decades. Up until around 2015, Greenway High School in the Glendale Union High School District engaged in Unitown activities.
As reported in the East Valley Tribune, the city of Chandler launched Unitown camps in 2003 based on the Anytown Leadership Camp. Even then, they focused on social justice issues in addition to leadership. It doesn’t appear that the Chandler-sponsored Unitown camp occurs anymore.
Some are confusing SUSD’s Unitown with the Unitown offered by Anytown Leadership Program, whose predecessor and affiliated organizations came up with Unitown decades ago. Their president, Amber Checky, told AZ Free News that SUSD has been running their Unitown independently since Anytown Arizona was shuttered around 2009.
In addition to Unitown, Anytown Leadership Program offers “Anytown Junior” workshops on social-emotional learning for K-5 students, the “Empowertown” in-school program on social justice issues for grades 6-12, and the “Minitown” condensed version of the summer camp for middle school students.
Anytown Leadership Program announced that they’re working on “CampusTown” for college students. The program plans on contracting with Arizona’s colleges to “create inclusive campuses and support activism and advocacy.”
Checky told AZ Free News that no schools are utilizing these current school programs at present.
The organization classifies their school programs as condensed versions of their $490 annual week-long camp occurring for 75 high schoolers. Of note, program staffers confiscate campers’ phones and prohibit them from speaking to their families while attending. In return, the high schoolers receive 50 hours of certified leadership training/service.
This year, the program has over 42 high schools represented.
The woke, TikTok famous elementary school teacher nominated by the Arizona Secretary of State’s office last year for her classroom activism, Amanda Delphy, is one of the camp staffers. In a TikTok posted this week, Delphy credited the camp for making her into the person she is today.
What’s YOUR favorite part about Anytown?
Don’t have an Anytown memory yet? Don’t fret! There’s still time to apply for Anytown Leadership Camp! Share with teens 14-19 today!
— Anytown Leadership Camp (@AnytownCamp) May 23, 2022
The Anytown Leadership Program receives taxpayer dollars for work. The organization recently received a grant from Arizona Humanities, a nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for Humanities — the funding source of their grants.
We are excited to announce that Anytown received a grant from @AZHumanities!
— Anytown Leadership Camp (@AnytownCamp) June 7, 2022
Anytown Leadership Program began in the 1950s, arising from a 1927 initiative responding to anti-Catholic and anti-Jewish sentiments at the time: the National Conference for Christians and Jews (NCCJ), later renamed in 1998 to the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ). They closed their operations and had a brief hiatus in the early 2000s before relaunching under new leadership.
Prior to 2009, each Arizona high school nominated two students to represent them at one of the program’s eight Anytown Leadership Camps held every summer.
The 2008 recession caused the original Anytown Leadership Camp to be shuttered in 2009. Alumni resurrected the program in 2014, making it into its present-day form focusing on social justice issues like diversity, equity, and inclusion.
– My existence is revolutionary. – I am worthy of love and acceptance. – I deserve to take up space. – My pronouns and gender identity are valid. – I deserve to feel safe & protected everywhere I go. – I give myself permission to shine.#WeAreAnytownpic.twitter.com/HqE6lxB2kI
— Anytown Leadership Camp (@AnytownCamp) June 3, 2022
NCCJ offers an “Anytown” programming similar to the Phoenix-based Anytown Leadership Program.
Upcoming sessions for virtual NCCJ Anytown programming concern “dismantling anti-blackness,” anti-racism, DEI (short for diversity, equity, and inclusion), and “understanding sizeism” (prejudice or discrimination against individuals based on their weight). These sessions focus on one or several of the “9 Identities”: ageism, dress code sexism, heterosexism, human trafficking, microaggressions, racism, religionism, sexism, and sizeism.
The 9 Identities have forthcoming bulletins on the NCCJ resource page to explain their place in the world of social justice. The other bulletins address social justice definitions as a whole, ableism, adultism, Black Lives Matter, cissexism, classism, colorism, consent, cultural appropriation, environmental justice, homelessness, internalization, intersectionality, neurodiversity, privilege, veteran’s affairs, and women’s rights.
State Senator Nancy Barto (R-Phoenix) lamented Anytown’s shift in focus.
Parents have traditionally had a positive view of Anytown. A trusted place where their kids have fun and learn civics-not a brainwashing clinic. No more. https://t.co/t9luWissni
SUSD parent Amanda Wray — one of the individuals included in the dossier compiled by former SUSD board president Jann-Michael Greenburg’s father, Mark Greenburg — told AZ Free News that the programming should inspire parents to rethink their approach when addressing these controversial topics.
“Conservatives need to stop using the term ‘CRT.’ What’s happening isn’t about a legal framework being taught in schools — we know K-12 students are not learning legal theories. What is happening is radical, racial division being taught not only to distract from the decline in public school academics, but it is indisputably to train students to become social activists,” said Wray. “This camp, which started out years ago as a wonderful way to unite students and respect other‘s differences, seems to have morphed into yet another form of social justice activist training. And it’s unwittingly being funded by taxpayers.”
A number of recognizable names are listed among Anytown Leadership Program supporters: the Arizona Coyotes, the Fiesta Bowl, Starbucks, Peoria Diamond Club, Amazon, Bank of America, PayPal, Target, Aldi, and CVS Health.
— Anytown Leadership Camp (@AnytownCamp) May 11, 2022
Those who fund over $7,500 to Anytown Leadership Program include the Arizona Community Foundation, the Arizona Coyotes Foundation, the David Frazier Endowment Fund, and the Fiesta Bowl Charities. Those who fund between $5,000 to $7,500 include Phoenix Pride, the Robert Cialdini and Bobette Gorden Family Foundation, Rob Jaimes, Sandy Fromm, and Voya Financial.
Those who fund between $1,000 to $5,000 include the Peoria Diamond Club; the Starbucks Foundation; David Gass; Fromm, Smith, & Gadow, P.C.; and Matt Case. Those who fund over $500 to $1,000 annually include Bank of America, Brock Insurance Services, David Gale, Diane Geimer, Jennifer Gadow, John Boyle, Leida and Greg Davis, Lisa Stone, Nancy Fromm, Phoenix Pediatrics, and Spire Health Club.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Parents pulled their kindergarteners from Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) classrooms after district leadership refused to put an end to one staff member’s discussions of gender ideology. The alleged perpetrator was Mia Perry, a before and after school care assistant who told students that she was nonbinary, an LGBTQ+ term indicating that the individual believes they’re genderless.
It appears that Perry shared more details of gender ideology: SUSD parents reported their kindergarteners came home with concern that they wouldn’t always remain the gender they were, and that they could choose their gender.
One SUSD parent and Arizona Senate candidate, Jan Dubauskas, explained to “The Conservative Circus” that Perry informed the kindergarteners of her nonbinary identity unprompted. At the time of the interview, Dubauskas said she hadn’t received word from SUSD about her complaint filed a week prior.
“This person is alone with small children and unsupervised, and SUSD has known about this for at least eight days,” observed Dubauskas.
Several days after filing the complaint, Dubauskas and several other parents running for office issued an open letter to SUSD.
#BREAKING Today, we signed an Open Letter to @ScottsdaleUSD demanding woke gender indoctrination of Kindergartener students cease immediately.
This is personal. My 6 year old daughter is being indoctrinated. Together, we are fighting to protect our children! pic.twitter.com/BfBbBhUnQW
— Jan Dubauskas for State Senate (@DubauskasJan) May 5, 2022
In response to the parents’ complaints, SUSD Superintendent Scott Menzel defended Perry. During the SUSD Governing Board meeting on Tuesday, Menzel accused parents of Civil Rights violations. Menzel took issue with the fact that Dubauskas issued a press release alongside other political candidates discussing details of the complaint against Perry, claiming that the parents were using the issue for political gain. Menzel said that the parents’ decision to issue an open letter before SUSD concluded its investigation supported his assessment of the situation.
“To target an individual publicly for their personal identity — in this case the individual against whom this complaint was filed does not identify as either male or female — is overt discrimination and inconsistent with state and federal law as well as school district policy,” said Menzel.
Menzel reminded SUSD parents and community members that the district had a commitment to its core values of empathy and inclusion.
“This district will not take adverse employment action against any individual as a result of their identity, no matter how offensive that may be to some,” said Menzel. “Hate and targeted attacks toward individuals on our staff are inconsistent and incompatible with [our] core values. It is my hope that our Scottsdale community will respond with kindness, love, and compassion toward all, as we look to finish this school year on a positive note.”
On Tuesday, SUSD issued a response to the parents’ complaint. SUSD Early Learning and Community Education Director Christine Bonow asserted that Perry hadn’t acted inappropriately when she informed kindergarteners of her gender identity. Additionally, Bonow rebutted the claims that the children didn’t ask Perry about her gender.
“I have found the staff person to be credible and consistent in relating the details of the comments that were made. The staff member did not initiate any conversation regarding gender identity, nor did they engage in any instruction that would be considered sex education. When asked a direct question by a child, the staff member answered briefly, in an age-appropriate manner and honestly,” wrote Bonow. “Simply being aware of a staff member’s gender identity is not inappropriate. Staff members are protected from discrimination based upon gender identity by board policy AC, Scottsdale city ordinance, and state and federal laws.”
Bonow then asserted that action against Perry would be discriminatory.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
After making waves for accusing a black DJ of blackface, Scottsdale Unified School District’s (SUSD) social justice professionals marched onward with their work. In the week following accusations from Scottsdale Parent Council (SPC) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee co-chair Jill Lassen and SUSD Equity and Inclusion Committee member Stuart Rhoden against a black DJ for alleged blackface and the school of racism for hiring him, SPC DEI Committee promoted a “Drag Queen Story Hour.”
Although SPC describes itself as an autonomous support organization for SUSD, it collects dues from SUSD parent and teacher groups annually: parent-teacher organizations (PTO), parent-teacher associations (PTA), and association of parents and teachers (APT).
As first reported by the Arizona Daily Independent, Lassen, a school librarian and self-described “community activist,” and Rhoden, an Arizona State University (ASU) professor, accused the Hopi Elementary PTA of racism at a charity earlier this month for hiring a DJ the pair believed to be wearing blackface. The DJ in question was Koko Kim Hunter, a black man. Hunter performed at a disco-themed charity event that raised over $300,000 for the elementary school.
Days later, the SPC Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee promoted a young adult drag story hour. The event occurs next Tuesday at the One N Ten Chandler Satellite Center in Chandler at 6:30 pm.
Rhoden complained about the perceived blackface to both the elementary school PTA and principal. Both informed Rhoden that Hunter was black. However, that revelation didn’t stop Rhoden’s accusations. Rhoden doubled down. He insisted in a Facebook post that he never thought Hunter was a white man committing blackface, and that Hunter, though black, may have committed blackface still. Rhoden attached several photos of Hunter and encouraged readers to judge whether Hunter darkened his skin to look more black. He then accused the parents of “cultural disconnect.”
“Let me be clear, a Black man, apparently in Black face [sic] is an entirely different discussion than a White person. However I did not state that the person was White. It was assumed that was my intent, and perhaps it was, but nonetheless, looking on his Facebook page (photos below), it seems at the very least he is in darker make-up [sic] if not ‘Black face’ [sic] or I am completely mistaken and it’s the lighting of the patio,” wrote Rhoden. “I apologize to [Hunter] for the implication, but the sentiment still stands, Black face [sic] by anyone, in this day and age is problematic. I also apologize to folks who reposted and made other statements based on my assumption. The other images, some of which are still on his FB page, are problematic and speak to the cultural disconnect of the parents at this school. Rather than acknowledge that, they chose to double down on being angry at me rather than trying to understand how one could have made this error. And yes, it was my error.”
Lassen emailed the Hopi Elementary PTA leader, Megan Livengood, with accusations of racism. After Livengood responded with the facts of Hunter’s race and a rebuke of Lassen’s conduct, Lassen replied with an apology.
The accusations reflected Lassen and Rhoden’s perspectives on SUSD parents.
Lassen complained in a promotional video for the drag queen story hour that parents have the amount of influence they do over the district’s activities. In another promotional video, Lassen said that her focus as a parent and educator concerned safe spaces and gender stereotypes.
“I think it is much harder at the school level, as far as the parents having a lot of say and clout with the school district, unfortunately,” said Lassen. “What it means to me as a parent is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for my child to develop their identity as a human, and to always be aware and counterbalance the gender stereotypes that we continually run into as a society. As a librarian, it means providing a safe space for LGBTQ individuals to gather, to learn, and to overall be a part of their community.”
In a Facebook post, Lassen called parents upset about remote learning, “super rich, white ‘Karen’s’,” who she instructed to have “blow [her]” for having concerns about SUSD children’s mental and physical health. She added the explicit hashtag, “#F***MichelleUgentiRita” as an insult to the sitting state senator from Scottsdale.
“You don’t care about them until it’s convenient for you and you pretend to align yourselves with them because suddenly you have the same interests, but when all is said and done and your kids are back in school, you won’t think another thought about them or offer any kind of help or support to the districts or teachers,” wrote Lassen.
Rhoden offered similar sentiments about parents in an August 2020 Facebook post.
“I need a training on training myself to not get exasperated at parents who only care about themselves, who are selfish and who’s [sic] intentions are not socially just,” wrote Rhoden. “Sorry to put this so bluntly, but if another Karen/Becky or Ken ask [sic] one more question on a back to school Zoom call that is only germane to them, I’ma [sic] blow. We are all in this ish [sic] together. Be a team player!”
Currently, there’s a petition calling for the resignation of Lassen and Rhoden. The petition documents the various offenses committed under the oversight of Lassen and Rhoden: promotion of a Drag Queen Story Hour, praise of Planned Parenthood founder and infamous eugenicist Margaret Sanger, and the unfounded blackface accusation made against Hunter.
“One of the organizations that parents have noticed as being problematic is the subcommittee of the Scottsdale Parent Council that is Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The name implies that kindness and compassion abound, but grievously, the opposite is true. The members of EDI consistently offend and confuse parents and community members with their controversial and divisive rhetoric.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Last March, Cocopah Middle School Principal Nick Noonan required teachers to attend a training on supporting and affirming LGBTQ+ ideologies in children. Email records show Noonan paid $500 in school funds for the two-hour training, “Safer Spaces,” conducted by the Phoenix chapter of Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a national organization pushing LGBTQ+ ideologies onto minors and communities. Noonan characterized the training as professional development in an email obtained by AZ Free News.
The middle school’s GLSEN-affiliated club, Gender & Sexualities Alliance (GSA), club sponsor Laynee Langner requested the training. According to emails obtained by AZ Free News, Langner asked for the training out of concern that some teachers weren’t calling students by their preferred names. Langner advocated for Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) to allow students to wear IDs reflecting their preferred name rather than their given name, which they called a “deadname.”
For intervening on behalf of the children in the deadname debacle, GLSEN Phoenix awarded Langner and her club “GSA of the Year” late last year.
The act of grooming indicates preparing something or someone for a specific objective. In recent decades, that term became associated with the grooming of children for sexual purposes, such as pedophiles preparing children for molestation. Grooming usually happens to minors, but it may also occur with adults. Those who groom, nicknamed “groomers,” attempt to build trust, dependency, and other emotional connections with their target in order to manipulate and exploit them.
Over the last few years, opponents of sexualized K-12 curriculum and activities have identified its proponents as “groomers.”
The Cocopah Middle School “Safer Spaces” training from last March occurred over Zoom, and no recording was made available. However, the GLSEN website offers a 52-page “Safe Space Kit” for educators, which the organization also calls their “Guide to Being an Ally to LGBTQ Students.”
The guide has educators assess their personal beliefs to “dismantl[e] internalized homophobia and transphobia.” It doesn’t broach the topic of educators whose personal beliefs may conflict directly with LGBTQ+ ideologies, such as Christianity. The guide also teaches that sex is fluid, or “gender identity.”
Additionally, the guide instructs educators make it known they support LGBTQ+ children by posting LGBTQ+ materials like stickers and posters in their classroom or office, wearing LGBTQ+ buttons or wristbands, telling other educators they support LGBTQ+ students, reforming their speech to avoid gendered terms like “he” or “she” and instead use “they,” and rebuking anyone who displays “anti-LGBTQ+” behavior. It further instructs educators to hide the information a student discloses to them about their sexual orientation or gender identity from that student’s parents.
Educators are also told that they should incorporate LGBTQ+ ideologies in their curriculum and activities. Activism is encouraged: a checklist asks educators to review their school for LGBTQ+ inclusivity, such as gender-neutral or private bathrooms, transgender-friendly sports teams, and gender-neutral alternatives to Prom King and Queen.
In the concluding portion of the guide, educators are told to make an action plan of their own: how they can support LGBTQ+ students, educate students and staff on LGBTQ+ issues, advocate for relevant changes at their school, and what further resources or help they need to make their action plan possible.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
A group of Afghan refugees were caught wandering the golf course of a local gated resort community in Scottsdale, according to security reports first obtained by the Arizona Daily Independent. The group was part of the Afghan refugees housed at the Homewood Suites, a nearby hotel that made headlines last year for sheltering illegal immigrants for around seven months. The refugees aren’t confined to the hotel and permitted to roam the surrounding areas at their leisure; the hotel sits across the street from the gated community.
Mike Anderson — security director for the community, Gainey Ranch Golf and Country Club — informed residents that the refugees were anticipated to be gone from the nearby hotel by April. Anderson further informed residents that their staff had upped security measures.
“The Homewood Suites site is being used by the federal government to temporarily house Afghan refugees evacuated by the U.S. in August 2021. The families and individuals housed there are free to come and go as they please,” wrote Anderson. “These individuals who are found walking on the course GRCA believes are from the settlement program defined above and followed vehicles in through the north vehicle entry gate. The individuals were escorted out of the community.”
As AZ Free News reported last week, not even Scottsdale’s leadership or law enforcement were apprised of the refugee situation until over a week after the federal government began to house them in the hotel. Although the hotel no longer functions as the Homewood Suites — or even would be identified legally as the Homewood Suites — the managing company answered the phones last year and again this week as the “Homewood Suites.”
It appears that the lack of notice from the federal government didn’t give Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) leadership any pause.
Unlike their response to parental concerns over the presence of comprehensive sex education (CRE) and critical race theory (CRT) in curriculum, SUSD was quick to act when they learned of the refugee children. AZ Free News reported Sunday on Superintendent Scott Menzel’s announcement promising SUSD would immediately plan to provide educational services and support to around 80 school-aged Afghan children.
Gainey Club security alerted the Scottsdale Police Department (SPD) of the trespass incident. SPD contacted the group managing the hotel, one hired by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), to put the refugees on notice about trespassing at Gainey Ranch.
Locals have begun to report sightings of Afghans panhandling on the streets.
Hey @dougducey just drove by Shea & Scottsdale – on each corner Afghan families panhandling! How did you think this was a good idea? Seriously! @scottsdaleazgov are you going to do something about this?
