Peoria Unified violated reporting law in Haley Beck sexual misconduct case, Horne says

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said the Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) did not follow Arizona statute when reporting an incident involving two teachers allegedly involved in sexual misconduct with a student.

Horne told KTAR News 92.3FM that Arizona law dictates a school district must report sexual misconduct allegations to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, State Board of Education and Arizona Department of Child Safety.

“They did refer the case to the county attorney which I think reduces the criticism … They’re still not consistent with state statute,” he said.

This comes as two former Centennial High School teachers, Angela Burlaka, 47, and Haley Beck, 27, were accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student.

Burlaka voluntarily surrendered her teaching certification on Jan. 26, the same day the district terminated her.

Beck was found responsible through the district’s Title IX process of violating the governing board’s policy on sexual harassment, and a statement of charges to terminate her was adopted on March 26. Her teaching certificate remains under investigation by the State Board of Education.

Peoria Unified School District Superintendent KC Somers told Centennial High School families that district officials met their legal obligations as mandatory reporters.

According to a district spokesperson, the Peoria Police Department reported that the district did everything correctly.

“The information available at the time concerns were initially raised did not meet the legal threshold for reasonable suspicion of abuse,” said the spokesperson. “When information later developed that met that threshold, law enforcement was notified and the investigation proceeded.”

Horne questions Peoria Unified’s removal of board president

Last week, the PUSD governing board voted to replace governing board president Heather Rooks after she filed a request with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to look into how Peoria Unified employees handled mandated reporting in the case.

Horne said he does not think Rooks should have been replaced due to her actions because the mandated reporting laws exist to ensure sufficient discipline.

“There’s no provision for discipline of school board members that are elected officials,” Horne said. “Public criticism is the only sanction unless the county attorney or the attorney general chooses to make a complaint against them for violating a statute,” he said.

Horne is also a member of the State Board of Education, which handles disciplinary action taken against educators.

Earlier this year the board voted to suspend a Chandler teacher’s teaching license after he failed to report a case of inappropriate touching in his school.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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