Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen Demands State Investigation Into Peoria Unified School Scandal
Marcus Whitfield
State leadership steps into Peoria school district crisis
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen held a news conference Tuesday morning in Phoenix to demand state-level accountability over the sexual misconduct scandal engulfing the Peoria Unified School District.
Petersen, who is running for Arizona Attorney General this year, joined Heather Rooks, a Peoria Unified Governing Board member, to call for investigations by both the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Attorney General's Office.
"We should also see a more engaged superintendent of public instruction, and we should see a more engaged attorney general. Right now, we should be hearing about investigations. We should be hearing names," Petersen said.
The press conference came the same day the Peoria Unified Governing Board voted to remove interim superintendent Dr. Ryan LaDouceur, who had been appointed to the position just five weeks earlier. The board appointed Human Resources Chief Tahlya Visintainer as the new interim superintendent, effective May 26.
Mandatory reporting failures at center of dispute
The controversy centers on allegations that two former Centennial High School teachers, Haley Beck, 27, and Angela Burlaka, 47, engaged in sexual relationships with the same male student.
Burlaka surrendered her teaching certification on January 26. The district fired Beck on March 26 for violating its sexual harassment policy. Beck's teaching certificate remains under investigation by the State Board of Education.
Peoria Police Department is investigating both teachers after numerous allegations surfaced. But Rooks, who was removed as board president after she unilaterally requested the Maricopa County Attorney's Office review the case, said the district blocked police from properly investigating.
"In my opinion, it seems there is a blockage of the Peoria Police Department getting what they need from the district. Districts normally don't want police to come in, they want to hide stuff from them," Rooks said.
According to the FOX 10 Phoenix report, Rooks reviewed the 200-page police report and found that investigators did not question any other teachers or front office staff at Centennial High School.
State officials weigh in on legal obligations
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne recently told reporters he does not believe the district fully followed Arizona statute on mandatory reporting.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell told KTAR News that educators who fail to follow Arizona's mandatory reporting laws when they suspect child abuse could face felony charges.
Peoria Unified Superintendent KC Somers said police told the district that teachers and administrators met their legal obligations for mandatory reporting.
Political stakes rise for Petersen
Petersen's public intervention carries political weight. The Republican Senate President is positioning himself for a fall run for Attorney General, a race that will test his ability to hold public institutions accountable.
"It appears the image and success of a school district is more important than protecting children," Petersen said at the news conference.
Critics of the board's leadership changes argue that LaDouceur was removed because he wanted an independent outside investigation. They note that Visintainer, the newly appointed interim superintendent, was the lead investigator in the district's internal probe into the scandal.
The Arizona State Board of Education has not yet announced whether it will launch its own investigation into mandatory reporting compliance at Peoria Unified.