PUSD Board Meeting: No One's Laughing

Because Using Children as Pawns in Your Culture War isn't Funny

There was a Peoria (PUSD) board meeting this week, and I’ll do my best to put it all into words, but honestly, this one really got me, Secular Fam. I’ve done my best to make light of these folks that show up to pass out envelopes, talk about reptilian evolution, or to pass out bugsnacks, 

But at the last PUSD meeting, there was very little to laugh at. 

And this is where I’m going to make a very explicit ask. Tracking all of this is emotionally taxing, and I need your help. If everyone reading this either upgrades to a paid subscription or considers becoming a member of Secular AZ, we could hire a volunteer coordinator to mobilize folks to attend these meetings, and allow me to get a break here and there. 

There are about 300 school districts in Arizona, and if this is happening in a suburban, Maricopa County district, just imagine what goes on in places like Kingman, Taylor, or Snowflake? 

Hang onto your hats, and get your barf bags, folks, because this meeting is sure to make you nauseous. 

So as everyone who reads this now knows, PUSD Board Clerk, Heather Rooks, is suing the district because the school district attorney (correctly) advised her and former Member Hill to stop reading scripture in public meetings. 

I recently watched a video of Heather on the campaign trail that illustrates how her bid for school board was never about the children, but more for the clicks and likes. 

So here we go. And I’ll admit, I was a bit hangry at this meeting, and my tolerance for nonsense was at an all-time low. And the number of fascists in the audience was at an all-time high.

🧻USA operatives, Lil’ Benji and Tiff-Tiff were there. Also in attendance was Bug Lady, Failed PUSD candidate Devon Day, Baby Wrangler Bro, MAGA Gramps, a couple of new candidates for PUSD whose names REALLY aren’t worth mentioning, Angry Homemade T-shirt Granny, and J6 insurrectionist, fake elector, and Mama Fratelli look alike, Senator Anthony Kern (R-LD27).

(Seriously, folks, this side-by-side cracks me up every time).

The meeting started as per usual…Pledge, moment of silence, etc. Board comments were next and my (h)anger made it difficult to be positive. Like, Board Clerk Rooks’s comments, blathering on about how great it was to visit schools in a district that she is currently suing were impossible for me to take seriously. In her lawsuit she basically says she reads scripture to fortify herself before meetings, despite her faith directing her to do just the opposite:

Matthew 6:5-6: “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

It’s just all so performative. 

And this is where I’m going to give a BIG shoutout to our REAL Christian members and supporters. I want you to know that when I mock white Christian nationalists, I’m not mocking y’all. Real Christians who practice their faith in private, and who actually adhere to the teachings of Christ are some of my favorite people.

After board reports, the interim superintendent, Kevin Molino, gave his report. And folks, I was really trying to have an open mind about this guy, but one of the first things out of his mouth was a very warm welcome to J6 insurrectionist, fake elector, and Mama Fratelli look alike, Senator Anthony Kern (R-LD27). 

Like, no. No. Insurrectionist, fake electors should not get any recognition. Especially when their entire mission seems to be to eradicate trans folks, undermine our elections, and ban abortion healthcare.

This dude actively works to make sure our most vulnerable students are further marginalized, and he actively harrasses sitting board members in his own legislative district, so giving him ANY kind of accolades would be a big, fat “NO” from me, and speaks volumes about this superintendent. 

And here’s the thing. As these evangelical extremist board members push out more and more superintendents, we’ll likely see more who agree with them step up into district leadership positions. I don’t know if that’s who Mr. Molina is yet, but this acknowledgement to someone who actively targets our LGBTQ community and has little regard for the Constitution is highly sus. 

And that was the theme of the meeting this week. Like, Clerk Rooks gives a regular ol’ report about how great it is to visit schools without pushback about her lawsuit. Fascists receive rousing applause when they say absolutely VILE things about trans students (without ANY demand for decorum from the President of the board), and literal traitors to our country get VIP treatment. You know, I really liked that speech from Michelle Obama back in 2020, but those days are over. 

Now, when they go low, we need to call them out on it. I’m tired of politeness politics because there is nothing polite about the behaviors of these people. 

The circus clown car public comment portion of the meeting was next on the agenda, and at this point, I need to provide some background about what is purported to have happened at a PUSD high school. Someone alerted me to a video that Lindsey Graham (no, not THAT Lady G), aka “The Patriot Barbie” posted on her social media. 

Patriot Barbie appears to want to be a MAGA real housewife, and made headlines earlier this year when she harassed trans Liberty SD Board Member, Paul Bixler, while she was working out at her local gym. And folks, I’ve met Paul, and she is a true champion for public schools. Meanwhile, all Ms. Graham has done for our public schools is to try to dismantle and defund them. 

So anyways…MAGA Real Housewife wannabe, Lindsey, posted a video about a fight that took place at Liberty High School between a trans girl and a cisgendered male student. In this incomplete video (I refuse to share it here), she says that a trans girl beat the snot out of this boy. She also showed a picture of both students (not sure if they’re minors, but if they are, WTAF), and claimed that this is what they’d all been warning everyone about. 

Except it’s totally not what they’ve been warning everyone about. They predicted that trans girls would be sexually assaulting cis girls in the bathrooms. This altercation didn’t happen in the bathroom, and it didn’t involve the sexual assault of any girls. 

But folks, so many in attendance were downright GIDDY that a student got beat up by a trans girl, that I had trouble holding in my anger (hanger?). 

The first speaker was the mother of the boy who was attacked by the trans girl. This lone trans student has been on the receiving end of some pretty hateful vitriol at just about every board meeting, so I don’t know why she attacked this young man, but I know it must be very difficult to walk in her shoes every day. I certainly do not condone violence, but I’ve counseled students who got into fights, and all I know is that they don’t usually just happen spontaneously. 

That said, it’s terrible that this kid got beat up so bad. The mother informed everyone that he has a traumatic brain injury (TBI), so this could have been really bad, and the perpetrator was suspended and according to some speakers, was withdrawn from Liberty and enrolled into another school. The mother wanted more punishment for this student. 

Next up was 2024 PUSD candidate, Jeff Tobey (who for some reason also goes by Jeff Touvi), who was there to complain that if they had voted to change their bathroom policy break the law, this incident wouldn’t have ever happened. And again, this fight did not take place in the girls bathroom, and the target of violence was not a girl. 

For some reason,he wanted to tell everyone that he’s Jewish and his daughter has Muslim friends, and then alluded to the lawsuit against PUSD from Heather Rooks. 

The thing that happened next just made me sad and even more (h)angry. The kid who got beat up was there and he did NOT fill out a card for public comment. The rule is that these have to be filled out and turned in before the meeting starts. Someone else’s name was called, and they deferred their time to this young man. Despite him not filling out a card, President Sandovel allowed it, once again letting the audience know that they’re the ones running the meeting. 

This young man wasn’t prepared, stumbled through his account of things, and all of us sitting in the back row just felt bad for him. I take copious notes during these meetings, and what I wrote down was “sad” and “adults using him as a pawn.” I wish this young man the very best, and I hope that he can sidestep the culture war circus that the adults in his life have created for him. 

Next up was another meeting regular and teacher for the district encouraging the district to create a policy that prohibits members AND the public from quoting scripture, and at this point, Angry Homemade T-shirt Granny turned her back on a teacher in the district, while her husband wrote “NO” on the back of her t-shirt with a Sharpie in real time. It was…weird. 

Next up was Lil’ Benji Larrabee from 🧻USA, and he practically skipped to the lectern. He was absolutely delighted by the violence that occurred at Liberty High School, and excitedly said “ITOLDJASO” basically even though no girls were harmed in the altercation that DIDN’T happen in a bathroom. 

And he also said some of the vilest sh!t I’ve ever heard anyone say about trans folks, so I won’t be sharing that. This guy really needs to touch grass.

With his Nazi haircut, flourishing hand gestures, and petite stature, he kinda reminds me of someone from history…I’ll let you know when it comes to me. 

More folks essentially said they want trans people eradicated, said that pushing your religion in school board meetings by governing board members is perfectly legal (it’s not), and MAGA gramps said that Christians are losing rights to literal demons. 

And speaking of demons, next up was a regular attendee who HATES the unisex bathroom solution and ONLY wants bathrooms for boys/girls (the goalposts are CONSTANTLY changing with these folks). She then went on to encourage the board to micro manage teachers, especially when they have a blog. 

She then went on to quote THIS blog (you know, the one put out by Secular AZ? The one you’re reading right now?), thinking that I’m an employee of the district. She was big mad saying that this “employee of the district” (I’m not) has a filthy mouth (I do), and incited violence (I didn’t) - ICYMI, you can read what she’s talking about here. 

Next on the agenda was a discussion about the student discipline, and you can access that slideshow presentation here. 

There were a few public comments about this topic, and first up was Bug Lady who basically told everyone she doesn’t know how to Google things because she was super confused about definitions about MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems & Supports), zero tolerance policies, restorative practices, or caring adults. 

At this point, I just felt bad for Bug Lady’s kids because if she doesn’t know how a caring adult behaves, her children probably don’t either. Basically, everything she said could have been an email to the board and administrators, but it seems these folks really love the sound of their own voices. 

Failed PUSD candidate Devon Day was up next, and expressed how much she HATES PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention & Supports), collaborative processes, and restorative practices. She seems nice. 

Day was angry about Social Emotional Learning (SEL), blah, blah, blah, the district teacher who spoke earlier spoke in favor of SEL, PBIS, and MTSS, and then Senator Anthony Kern’s sister, Janelle Bowles, and PUSD school board appointee hopeful spoke next about behavior, yadda, yadda, yadda, the lady who was angry about this blog demanded MORE punishment for kids, and I couldn’t quite follow because at this point my (h)anger had left me unable to focus. 

Now it was the board’s turn to ask questions, and first up was Clerk Heather “Pick Me!” Rooks. She was outraged, OUTRAGED, I TELL YOU, about this presentation, and once again, used her position as a governing board member to disparage the district that she currently is suing. All of this is so dumb. 

To sum it up, the ultra MAGA deplorables want schools to operate like police states where there is no due process and every infraction results in an expulsion (unless it’s their kids), and apparently when it doesn’t result in an expulsion (again, not of THEIR precious angels), they’ll bully the very children (AND TEACHERS) that their kids refuse to and dox them on social media because that’s totally such a “Christian” thing to do. 🙄

When it was Ms. Rooks’ turn to speak, she complained that the MTSS process was too lengthy, that parents pretty much should be the ones to design this or randomly opt out of entire school systems, and was worried about the legal-cities [sic] of this discipline plan. And now, I am just tired of recounting the dangerously ignorant rhetoric that these evangelical extremists spew and this item was only for discussion and not a vote. 

All joking aside, folks, last night left me feeling pretty down. The noise coming from the other side was deafening and there were almost zero pro-public education advocates there. On top of that, the public continues to run these meetings, and no one calls them out on their vitriol or lack of decorum. 

These rantings aren’t harmless.

Remember, a non-binary teacher is suing the district, and in response, their vehicle was vandalized, their tires were slashed at work, and bricks were thrown through their window. TWICE. This shit is no longer funny folks. 

Again, I encourage all school board members to watch Julie Cieniawski in Scottsdale (SUSD) or Kerry Baker in Paradise Valley (PVUSD) so they can see strong leadership in action. And until things change in PUSD, the vitriol and even violence will likely continue. 

One thing’s clear: Christian nationalists, hateful bigots, and conspiracy theorists are showing up for these meetings. Do you want them speaking for you?

Click here to volunteer then join Secular AZ, so you can make sure your voice — a voice of reason — is heard. Don’t a small, angry, loud minority drown out those of us who live in reality. Because honestly, the harm that results from these meetings isn’t funny.