School board targets Christian student teachers to protect LGBTQ students

The Washington Elementary School District school board has a message for education majors who attend Arizona Christian University:

You aren’t welcome here.

The board is ending its contract with Arizona Christian University, which for 11 years has supplied student teachers to the north Valley school district.

It seems the university’s budding educators are simply too Christian to be allowed to teach in the district’s 32 schools.

New board member pushes to end contract

The push to cleanse the district of Arizona Christian’s students was spearheaded by Washington Elementary board member Tamillia Valenzuela, who noted the university’s mission to “influence, engage and transform the culture with truth by promoting the biblically informed values that are foundational to Western civilization."

Among those values, according to the university’s website: “traditional sexual morality and lifelong marriage between one man and one woman.”

“At some point we need to get real with ourselves and take a look who we are making legal contracts with and the message that that is sending to our community because that makes me feel like I could not be safe in this school district,” Valenzuela told her fellow board members. “That makes queer kids who are already facing attack from our lawmakers feel that they could not be safe in this community.”

Valenzuela, who was elected in November and describes herself on the district’s website as “a bilingual, disabled, neurodivergent Queer Black Latina”, noted that three of the five school board members are LGBTQ.

Arizona Christian has provided student teachers to Washington Elementary for 11 years. The contract renewal was a routine item, put on the district’s Feb. 23 consent agenda with a recommendation from the administration that it be renewed.

Others worry they'll teach with 'Biblical lens'

Then it ran in to the school board buzz saw, as first reported by Fox News.

Board member Kyle Clayton, the board’s other newly elected member, worried that ACU students would teach “with a Biblical lens.”

“I just don’t believe that belongs in schools,” he said. “I would never want my son to talk about his two dads and be shamed by a teacher who believed a certain way and is at a school that demands that they teach through their Biblical lens.”

Amid teacher shortage:Arizona schools are losing specialized staff

Board Chairwoman Nikkie Gomez-Whaley echoed that.

“For me, this is not a concern about Christianity. There are plenty of Christian denominations who are LGBTQ friendly so I want to make it clear that for me my pause is not that they’re Christians so much as this particular intitution’s strong anti-LGBTQ stance and their belief that you believe this to your core and you take it out into the world ... .

“How do you shut off an essential part of your being and not be biased toward individuals in which you are in charge of nurturing and supporting unconditionally? I don’t see how that disconnect is possible.”

Kick them out because they might show bias?

In other words, it’s OK to discriminate against an entire class of people – in this case, the students at Arizona Christian University – because you think one or more of them might display a bias against an LGBTQ student?

Washington Elementary has had 25 student teachers from ACU in the last 11 years, and another 100 or students who have observed classes. School officials say they all must sign a document agreeing to abide by the district’s non-discrimination policies.

Pam Horton, the district’s spokeswoman, told me she didn’t know if there have been problems with ACU students. If so, I’m guessing, any problems would have come up during the board’s debate.

Instead, Horton sent me a statement from Gomez-Whaley saying the district “is committed to creating a welcoming environment for all our students, families, and staff.”

“To that end, the board unanimously voted to discontinue its partnership with Arizona Christian University (ACU) whose policies do not align with our commitment to create a safe place for our LGBTQ+ students, staff, and community. This is not a rejection of any particular faith as we remain open to partnering with faith-based organizations that share our commitment to equity & inclusion.”

Will board target GCU student teachers next?

But teachers tell me a successful leadership program tailored for children with behavioral issues also has been shut down because it was run by a faith-based group. Having now expelled Arizona Christian, they expect the school board next to take aim at student teachers from Grand Canyon University, another private Christian university.

“There was no basis for it,” Lisa Hayes, who has taught in the district for 11 years, said. “Nothing has happened that should have initiated this, except for their (the school board members') hypothetical ideas. This is discrimination, and it’s disappointing and disheartening in such a diverse school district that has always celebrated its diversity.”

“The WESD School board has no proof that a student teacher or teacher from Arizona Christian University or Grand Canyon University has ever violated district policy state or federal policy regarding separation of church and state,” said Julie Stark, who has taught in the district for 27 years. “This is discrimination against all employees of faith, especially those who are Christian.”

Certainly against those who attend a certain Christian college.

Flip the board's policy and see how it sounds

Flip it around and see how it sounds.

Would it be OK for another school district to enact a policy against hiring an entire class of people – say, teachers who are LGBTQ – out of some fear that one or more of them might make a student uncomfortable?

I’m going to assume here that I don’t really need to answer that question. Discrimination is ugly, no matter who’s doing it.

Just as a wedding cake baker should bake, no matter his or her personal beliefs, a teacher should do the same. And if he or she doesn’t, then you fire that individual teacher for what they do – not what they believe.

I understand the board’s desire to protect LGBTQ students. These are vulnerable children and the culture warriors on the right have put a bull’s-eye smack on their small backs.

But for a public school district to presumptively reject an entire class of people just because board members don’t approve of their beliefs?

Flip it around, Ms. Valenzuela, and see how it sounds.

Tolerance is a two-way street. Or it should be.

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LaurieRoberts.

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