The Peoria Unified School District governing board voted to remove its board president during a special meeting Tuesday night following growing controversy surrounding investigations into alleged teacher misconduct at Centennial High School.
Heather Rooks, who had been elected board president in January, was stripped of that leadership role in a 3-2 vote by the governing board. Although she lost the title of president, she remains a member of the board. After the vote, board member Jeff Tobey was selected as the new board president, also in a 3-2 decision.
The move came after increasing tension over how the district handled allegations involving two former Centennial High School educators accused of sexual misconduct involving the same student. Rooks and another board member had pushed for an independent third-party investigation into both the allegations themselves and the district’s response to them. However, the majority of the board voted against immediately moving forward with an outside investigation, saying they wanted additional guidance from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office first.
Peoria Police have already recommended criminal charges against both former educators. Authorities recommended pandering charges against former teacher Haley Beck, while former educator Angela Burlaka faces recommended charges of aggravated luring of a minor. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said it is still reviewing both cases.
Before the vote to remove Rooks as president, board clerk Becky Proudfit said the decision was tied to what she described as an ongoing pattern of behavior as well as strong community feedback. She said she had received an unusually large number of emails from members of the public regarding the issue.
Rooks publicly criticized the district’s handling of the Centennial High case and spoke with media outlets about her concerns. She argued that administrators and district leaders needed to be investigated further, particularly regarding whether mandatory reporting laws had been properly followed. She said she believed the effort to remove her as president was retaliation for speaking out and accused the district of attempting to cover up potential wrongdoing.
According to Rooks, she based her concerns on information contained in police reports related to the investigation. She said events escalated quickly after she publicly raised questions about the district’s actions and called for additional scrutiny. Despite losing the presidency, she said she did not regret speaking publicly and would continue advocating for students.
The controversy surrounding the district has intensified in recent weeks as investigations into Centennial High educators continued unfolding publicly. Superintendent communications to families stated that police indicated there was no evidence district officials failed to meet their obligations as mandatory reporters under Arizona law.
Meanwhile, the Peoria chapter of the Arizona Education Association created a petition calling for Rooks to be removed as president. The petition accused her of circumventing the governing board process and publicly criticizing Centennial administrators during media interviews.
Although Rooks was removed as president, officials clarified that the governing board does not have the authority to remove her entirely from the board. A district spokesperson explained that a board member can only leave office through resignation, moving out of the district, death, or recall procedures outlined by county election rules. Rooks stated that she has no intention of resigning and plans to continue serving until her term expires in November. She also said she intends to run for the governing board again.
This is not the first controversy involving Rooks during her time on the board. She previously filed a lawsuit against the district after fellow board members asked her to stop reciting Bible verses during meetings. She ultimately lost that lawsuit. Rooks is also currently campaigning for a seat in the Arizona House of Representatives on a conservative platform.
The situation remains highly controversial within the district as investigations involving the former teachers continue and questions persist about how district leadership responded to the allegations.
Source: ABC15
