West Valley school board files complaint against mayor after parking lot confrontation

PHOENIX – A school board in suburban Phoenix is accusing the Tolleson mayor of inappropriately confronting its members after they appointed a new superintendent last month.

Tolleson Elementary School District Governing Board members said Monday they felt threatened by Mayor Juan Rodriguez’s behavior.

In fact, the board filed an official complaint asking the city to investigate Rodriguez for potential code of conduct violations.

“While we respect the mayor’s right to express his views, we believe that public officials must model the behavior we expect from our students and community,” the five-member board said in a collective statement. “This incident raises serious concerns about the safety and well-being of our governing board members and the respect they deserve.”

What led up to parking lot incident?

The Tolleson Elementary School District consists of four K-8 campuses that serve approximately 3,000 students in the West Valley.

On Sept. 10, Lupita Hightower announced that she would be retiring at the end of the calendar year after nearly 14 years as the district’s superintendent.

The governing board called a special meeting for the next day, when it voted unanimously to appoint Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Gisselle Herrera as superintendent effective Jan. 1, pending contract negotiations.

According to the minutes from the meeting, the vote came after the board went into executive session for legal advice.

What is Tolleson mayor accused of doing?

Rodriguez allegedly confronted several board members in the parking lot after the meeting.

Board Member Roberta Garcia said the Tolleson mayor shouted inappropriately and addressed her by name while questioning the legality of the board’s actions.

“Had I known that he was outside waiting for me, I would have asked our school resource officer to walk me to my vehicle,” Garcia said in a press release.

Another board member said the mayor and his wife invaded his personal space in a manner that felt threatening.

“I would think there would have been more professional behavior and respect for me as a governing board member,” Anthony Aponte said in the release.

Rodriguez was elected Tolleson mayor in 2020 after more than a decade on the City Council. He ran unopposed in his mayoral reelection bid this year.

According to his bio on the city’s website, his wife is a Tolleson school teacher.

KTAR News reached out to Rodriguez’s office for a reaction to the allegations but has not received a response.

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