Senator Anthony Kern calls on Tamillia Valenzuela to Immediately Resign from School Governing Board

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, March 3, 2023

Senator Anthony Kern calls on Tamillia Valenzuela to Immediately Resign from School Governing Board After Discriminatory Remarks

PHOENIX, ARIZONA— On February 23rd, Washington Elementary School District Board Member Tamillia Valenzuela made discriminatory remarks regarding students from Arizona Christian University and people of the Christian faith.

"At some point, we need to get real with ourselves and take a look at who we're making legal contracts with and the message this is sending to our community. Because that makes me feel like I could not be safe in this school district," said Valenzuela in response to a partnership the district had with the Christian university, which enabled their student teachers to be placed in its schools for on-the-job experience. She added that she was "disheartened" to learn about the contract, which helps propel our next generation of educators.

"While we're facing a shortage of teachers, Valenzuela is impugning the motives of teachers with certain religious beliefs. This is NOT what our country was founded on," said Senator Anthony Kern. "This is absolute discrimination, and somebody like this should not be making decisions for Arizona and Arizona families. If she does not resign within the next 24 hours, I'm calling on the Washington Elementary School District Governing Board to remove her from her duties. She is no longer serving Arizona, Arizona families or Arizona children well."

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects freedom of religion, speech, the press, assembly, and petitioning the government. This ideology puts Americans' First-Amendment rights in jeopardy.

Arizona will not tolerate constitutional rights violations and persecution.

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For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov